The one that got away
by jemster23
Summary: When Bella Swan arrives back in town for her high school reunion she is reunited with her schoolgirl crush. Hollywood heartthrob Edward Cullen was way out of her league then, so what chance does she have now that he's moved on to bigger and better things?
1. The invitation

**Title: The one that got away.**

**Summary: When Bella Swan arrives back in town for her high school reunion, she is unexpectedly reunited with her schoolgirl crush. Hollywood heartthrob Edward Cullen was way out of her league then, so what chance does she have now that he's moved on to bigger and better things. Bella knows she should stay well away from him because if she's not careful she could find herself falling for him all over again. Or did she ever really get over him in the first place?**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill_,_ Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all it's characters. I own nothing. Blah, blah, blah.**

**Authors Note: So here is a little story that popped into my head. I hope you all like it:) Though, be warned I don't have a beta for this story, so apologies in advance for any punctuation errors and spelling mistakes. If anyone would like to offer their beta services I would really appreciate it.**

~The one that got away~

Looking down at the elegant script, I read the contents dubiously.

**_Forks High School. Class of 2006._**

**_5 year class reunion._**

**_Miss Isabella Marie Swan_**

**_You are invited to celebrate with all the familiar faces that you have missed over the past 5 years. Come and join us as we renew friendships, reminisce about days gone by and share in life experience both past and present._**

**_Saturday 14th August_**

**_Forks high gymnasium._**

_**We hope **__**to see you then!**_

**_Yours sincerely_**

**_Jessica Stanley_**

**_Chief of the reunion committee._**

A class reunion? Already? Well, that was certainly unexpected. It didn't seem like five minutes ago that we were graduating and I certainly wasn't in any hurry to go back.

I wasn't particularly fond of my high school years. As a matter of fact, I'd go as far as to say high school was a living hell for me. Back then, I was shy, clumsy, and incredibly introverted, which made me a ideal target for all the 'cool kids'.

Those who say that high school is the best days of your lives obviously didn't got to school with the idiots I did. Kids can be cruel and they terrorized me the whole of freshman year of high school for being the new girl.

From the start I didn't fit in and the other students made my life a misery with cruel jibes and taunts about my oversized glasses, horrible braces and flat chest. I was the butt of all of their jokes and cruel pranks. I was that girl who was tripped in the corridor, got pushed aside in gym, and generally humiliated on a daily basis. Every day, I would dread riding the bus home from school because I was bullied by the other children on the bus.

I had hardly any friends, I was never invited to parties, and I certainly didn't go to any of the other typical high school socials like prom or sporting events. I was good girl Bella swan; more likely to be found in the library than at any social occasion with my fellow classmates.

With time I had hoped that their focus would inevitably move on to their next victim. Sadly, I had no such luck and the clique of bullies teased me more than ever.

When I was a senior my image remarkably improved. My hair was less haystack like, I lost my puppy fat and I finally had my braces taken off. Unfortunately that only seemed to gain me the attention of meat heads like Mike Newton and the evil glares of the school bitch, Lauren Mallory. I couldn't win!

Yeah, high school didn't hold very many happy memories for me and I certainly wasn't in any hurry to see her or any of those other idiots again. The reunion would only serve as a reminder of all the things I had desperately tried to leave behind me. So what point was there in going to some stupid reunion and being irritated by former classmates who are only interested in finding out where you work and how much money you are making now.

No I wouldn't be going. For the simple fact that I didn't want to make small talk over crap foods and cheap wine with people who couldn't stomach me back then and who I didn't like very much either. My time would be much better spent with a good book and a large glass of wine than with the very people who made my teenage years a living hell.

I didn't need to think twice about going and I was about to throw the letter in the bin when my flatmate Rosalie appeared.

"What's this?" she asked, spying the document in my hand.

"Oh, its just some lame reunion invite. Can you believe it has only been five years since we graduated and already they are planning this." I answered unenthusiastically.

I showed it to Rosalie who immediately said, "you should go. Don't you think it would be fun to reminisce about your youth."

I eyed her curiously. Rosalie was by no means stupid. She knew the whole sorry story of my high school years and from the moment we met she had made it her mission to bring me out of my shell. After all, she had done it herself.

To look at Rosalie now you'd never think that this blonde bombshell was once ridiculed about her weight. That was probably why she had pushed me to be more confident and assertive. I had spent the last five years getting back my confidence and learning to feel comfortable in my own skin but I was finally there.

So why waste my time going over old, painful memories.

"Rosalie, you know how much I hated high school and almost all of the people there. Why would I want to go back and see them?"

"Look, I know high school was tough for you, but you're not that girl any more, Bella. You're smart, confident and successful. You can't deny that it would be satisfying to see their reaction."

"I don't need their approval any more," I justified.

"I know you don't Bella," she said gently, "but aren't you even a little bit curious as to how those losers turned out. Besides, you never know, HE might be there?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

The 'He' in question was Edward Cullen.

The only good thing about high school had been my best friend, Edward. The first day we met in biology we hit it off straight away. He got my weird obsession with classic literary novels, while I understood his attachment to comic books. Okay, I kinda got it anyway. I swear that's where he took his inspiration from; He had the whole peter Parker vibe going on with his glasses, shy demeanour and clothes more suitable for a college prep than a high school student. But I loved his sense of style. It was who Edward was. He was smart, friendly, intuitive, inquisitive and I was instantly drawn to him.

Underneath his geeky exterior Edward was incredibly good looking and he would have had the whole female population of Forks High running wild if they had only took the time to look at the man behind the ridiculously wide glasses he wore. He was also lanky and pale which made his green eyes even more intense. The only part of him that didn't scream geek was his wild bronzish-brownish hair. I swear he must have run his fingers through it religiously to achieve that dishelved look, but I had yet to meet anyone who could pull off bed head quite like Edward Cullen.

In high school we made quite the pair; me the shy bookworm and him, the comic book loving genius, and throughout school we were inseparable.

Edward was my greatest supporter and he was always there for me when I needed him most. He was the friend to pick me up when one of my tormentors tripped me in the hallway. He was the friend who rallied round to cheer me up when I was having a down day. He was also the friend who mopped up my tears and held my hand the whole way back to his house after the time Lauren Mallory put chewing gum in my hair in English class. Bless him, he'd tried effortlessly to get the damn gum out of my hair, but eventually even he was forced to accept defeat when his mom, Esme declared it a loosing battle. It was barely noticeable, but I had cried like a baby when she cut what seemed to me to be a massive chunk out of my hair. In the end I ended up being comforted by Edward, who rubbed my back comfortingly and assured me that it wasn't even noticeable anyway.

Then in our senior year when I still hadn't managed to save enough money for a car of my own Edward insisted on picking me up every day so that I was saved the dreaded bus journey to and from school. His house was on the other side of town in a much more affluent neighbourhood but despite my concerns he was adamant that he would pick me up every day despite the round trip.

Edward was everything to me and if we weren't chilling at my house, we'd be at his place studying. However, the best times were when we'd go to one of the local coffee shops or restaurants after a particularly lengthly study session. Edward was old fashioned and gentlemanly and always insisted on paying for me, no matter how much I fought him. The maddening part was that all it took was that wonderfully crooked smile and I was putty in his hands. It was pretty infuriating.

"When you and Edward are together its like you're in our own little bubble." Maria, the owner of the coffee shop we frequently visited once commented and it was true. He got me in a way no other person ever had or has since. I had always been the shy, awkward loner but with Edward I could be myself; the nerdy bookworm who loved nothing better than a night in with her best friend, curled up on the sofa watching crappy quiz shows and arguing over who was better, Austen or Bronte.

Apart from the unattainable teen idol or movie stars, Edward was my first major crush. I couldn't pinpoint the moment I realised I felt more than friendship for him. The possibilities were endless. He was too God damn perfect for his own good.

We never had intimate moments not that I wouldn't have welcomed them, but there were instance when I wondered if there was a tiny chance he felt the same way I did. He made subtly hints that he liked me, without actually making a move, so I'd given up hoping for anything more than friendship from him.

Though a few times I did come close to telling him how I felt, but I always chickened out at the last second. It was just as well really, because as far as I was concerned, I was a wasting my time with Edward. He was too smart to be interested in a nobody like me. Sure, I got good grades and I was able to amuse him with my clumsiness and sarcastic comments, but apart from that everything about me was just ordinary.

Plus I was afraid that if he ever found out the way I really felt it would ruin the close friendship we had. And I valued Edward's friendship far too much to risk loosing him by confessing my unrequited love, so I stayed quiet.

Hiding my feelings required a certain amount of control I hadn't quite anticipated and when I was around Edward I worried he would know how I felt. Thankfully he was oblivious to it all. In fact in general he was in denial when it came to the female race and he missed the longing looks of the other geeky girls who were crushing on him.

Edward was not exactly smooth with the ladies, as I had witnessed when Victoria, a girl from our math class asked him to prom. He seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable throughout but I thought it was endearing the way he'd blushed and mumbled out a gracious no before Victoria finally got the hint that he wasn't interested in going to prom with her, or anyone else for that matter.

"Hello! Earth to Bella. Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" Rosalie asked, interrupting me from my trip down memory lane.

"Sorry," I blushed.

She looked at me pointedly. "Look Bella I know you're against it but I really think you should consider going. You've got unfinished business you need to work on. Its time to say goodbye to old ghosts once and for all.

She was right, of course. Edward and I had issues to resolve but that wasn't likely to be resolved at the reunion for a number of reasons. For one thing Edward hated high school almost as much as I had and no matter how satisfying it would be to see the looks on the faces of the people from his childhood I highly doubted he would travel half way across the country, possibly even the world to put a few people in their place. In fact I was certain he wouldn't be attending and I told Rosalie as much.

"Rosalie there's no way in hell he'll be there." I argued.

"He might be."

"He wont, trust me."

"Then what exactly are you afraid of?"

"Nothing!" I said defensively then realised my mistake when Rosalie smiled victoriously.

She had that determined look which meant I was fighting a loosing battle. "There's the strong Bella I know and love. Then its settled. You're going."

In all fairness she was right. I'd worked through almost all of the demons from my past, the only one I needed to address was the hardest one of all; Forgetting Edward Cullen. I'm not sure how going to the reunion would achieve that but my curiosity got the better of me and I found myself reluctantly agreeing.

"Fine! I'll go." I conceded. "But if I'm going then you're coming with me!"

That same night I filled out the form, wrote a check for forty five dollars and put the envelope in the mail the next day before I had the chance to change my mind.

Hopefully I wouldn't live to regret it...

**}*{**

**Okay, so what did you think? I'm not giving much away at the moment but I promise all will be revealed in the coming chapters. This is only going to be a relatively short story- five, maybe six chapters max, so all will be revealed shortly. We will learn what has gone on in the past in the form of flashbacks! I hope that makes sense.**

**Let me know if you think it is worth continuing:) Your reviews really mean the world to me so hit that button and let me know what you think.**

**Me x**


	2. Flashbacks

**A/N: First of all I want to start off by saying how sorry I am that it has taken me so long to update this story. The response to the first chapter was pretty amazing- and a little intimidating if I'm being completely honest. I'm not used to such a postive response to an opening chapter, so thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this on alert and favourites.**

**This is just a short chapter to say that I'm back and to see if anybody is still interested in me continuing this story? If this chapter is as well received as the first then I promise to update a lot more regularly from now on. I still don't have a beta so any spelling and grammar mistakes are all mine!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things twilight, not me.**

**~*Chapter 2*~**

The weeks that followed were chaotic and tiring in the build up to the reunion. However, the one good thing about being busy was that it kept me from sitting around the apartment obsessing about the reunion. In truth I had managed pretty well over the past few weeks to put it to the back of my mind, but now that the dreaded weekend had arrived I could no longer push my fears aside.

As I started packing up a small bag for my weekend back home I wondered just what I was letting myself in for. Would anyone recognise me? Would the cliques still exist? Would it be any different than high school? More importantly would Edward be there? However unlikely it was that he would make an appearance, the slim chance of seeing him again was what had prompted me to agree to going in the first place.

Once I had finished packing I felt a little nostalgic and decided to pull out my old tattered class yearbook from the back of my closet. I should have thrown it away a long time ago but I was sentimental like that and I couldn't seem to part with it.

I sat down on my bed and started flicking through the class photos. Most of the faces I remembered, triggering vague recollections or specific memories, both good and bad. I had forgotten about all of the silly little notes everyone had wrote to each other during the last few days of the school year and I smiled to myself as I started reading through them. Some were witty, others more general, but most were full of the usual spiel about wishing each other well and remaining friends forever. It would be interesting to see if many people had kept their promises.

Then came the pictures of the teams; the basket ball team, the baseball team, and finally the football team; The Forks Spartans who never actually won any trophies but thought they were the best team in the country. There was a huge feature on Mike Newton, the star quarterback who had looked and acted like a typical dumb jock. He was probably selling used cars now, I hoped bitterly, though in all fairness Mike hadn't exactly made High School a very pleasurable experience for me.

I continued flicking through the yearbook and next there were photos of prom and the prom Queen and King, Tanya Denali and Mike Newton. Didn't he already take up a whole page in the sports section? Talk about milking it!

Needless to say I hadn't gone to my senior prom. I didn't want one, I didn't buy into the hype I know a lot of teens do today. Secondly, Edward and I went to the movies instead. It was much more enjoyable than being uncomfortable sulking around in a fancy dress with people I didn't much care for anyway.

When I came across a picture of my geeky former self, I smiled fondly at the shy, plain Jane I once was. It was a reminder of how far I had come in just a few years. Then a few pages later my heart literally jumped in my chest at the sight of Edward's yearbook photograph. Looking at the picture closely, I realised that this was the start of his big transformation. His shoulders were filling out, his features were becoming more defined and that signiture crooked half smile of his was threatening to break free.

Seeing him at that age brought it all back to me and for the first time in a very long time I allowed myself to think back to one of the most painful and heartbreaking days of my life.

~June 2007~

_The time had flown by so quickly as graduation approached. Finals had come and gone, and before I knew it, the big day arrived. Its funny how something you spent so many years of your life preparing for is over in the blink of an eye. I wish I could say that my graduation ceremony was momentous and spectacular but I suspected it was no different than the rest. There was the long, boring speeches about hopes and aspirations for the future, talk of the exciting things to come, encouragement on being the best we could be, and not forgetting the unfortunate person who trips on their way to collecting their diploma. Thank God that honor went to Tyler Crowley and not me is all I will say._

_When the ceremony was finally all over with and we'd thrown our hats skyward, I felt a mixture of sadness, relief and hope for the future. High school was officially over with and I for one couldn't wait to start a fresh. I wouldn't miss Fork High that's for sure, however there was one person I was dreading saying goodbye to. And before leaving commencement I made it a point to find Edward, the one person I truly wanted to keep in contact with after today._

_I spotted him hovering at the back of the crowd and made my way over to him. As I approached his wide smile warmed my heart. __"Congratulations Bella" he beamed giving me a big hug that I eagerly returned._

"_Congratulations Edward," I smiled back. He pulled away slightly, and held me tightly as he stared down at me intently, as though he were trying to remember every detail of my face._

_Months earlier Edward had told me that he was planning on spending most of the summer in England visiting his grandparents before starting college, so this was potentially the last time I would see him in a while. Edward was going to UCLA while I was staying closer to home and going to the University Washington, so the chances of us seeing each other very often was unlikely. That realization terrified me and I held on to him as long as I could before eventually pulling away._

_"I wish we could spend the summer together. When do you leave for Europe?" I asked, slightly fearful of his answer. _

_"The day after tomorrow but I'll write to you Bella." Edward offered as consolation knowing I was more than disappointed. We'd spent the past two summers together and I was already dreading the long drawn out days around the house before I headed off to college._

_"If you don't I'll come track you down." I tried to joke, but my voice cracked at the end. It was so difficult to think about saying goodbye to him._

_Like he always did, Edward picked up on the source of my upset, he was good like that. He held me tighter against his chest and leaned in to softly kiss my forehead while I struggle to hold it all together. __He was handling it so much better than me_

"_I'm not ready to say goodbye to you" I whimpered, fighting off the tears._

"_Then don't. Come to Mike's party with me tonight" he said surprising me completely._

_Edward and I didn't do party's or prom or anything else slightly social. I stared at him dumbfound for a few moments before finally finding my voice._

"_Party?" I asked, my face twisting. He had to be joking. "Yeah and be stuck with a bunch of people who either don't know that we exist or enjoy taking the mickey out of us. I could think of nothing worse. Thanks but no thanks." I scoffed but Edward seemed determined._

"_Please Bella, I want to spend as much time with you as I can before I have to leave." I was dazed by his words and I looked at him completely stunned._

"_Say you'll go with me, please, Bella" he pleaded, flashing me that killer smile that could just about make me agree to anything he asked._

"_Fine," I said trying to sound casual when inside I was screaming like a 10 year old at a Justin Beiber concert. If I'm being honest with myself I wasn't ready to let him go either. Our time together was coming to an end. I tried to put that thought to the back of my mind and in that moment I made a promise to myself that instead of focusing on how little time we had together I would enjoy each and every moment I had left with him._

"Hey Bells, are you nearly done in there?" Rosalie voice called down the corridor, bringing me out of my memories.

"Almost," I replied my voice tight and a little scratchy. I heard the door open and I saw her making her way inside my bedroom. She sat down besides me, taking in the battered yearbook in my hands, her eyes immediately narrowing in on Edward's picture.

"So that's him at eighteen," she said, her voice soft and comforting.

"Yeah, that's Edward." I agreed.

"He was cute in a geeky kinda way," she surmised. "I can see why you liked him."

I nodded back, unable or perhaps unwilling to admit the truth; The boy in the picture wasn't just cute- he was my whole world and he hadn't had a clue how much I'd loved him.

**A/N: Yeah I told you it was short, but there is plenty more to come. Including more flashbacks I promise...**

**Now review if you want more...**

**Me x**


	3. A trip down memory lane

**A/N: Wow, thank you all so much! The response to the last chapter was incredible! I'm so pleased that people liked it and want me to continue. I was so chuffed I tried to get this chapter done asap. Its a long one too so I really hope you like it:) To avoid any confusion all flashbacks are written in Italic.**

**Disclaimer: The usual applies- Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, not me.**

~*Chapter 3*~

The next morning I woke bright and early ready for the three and a half hour drive to Forks. Taking time off work had been easy since I very rarely worked weekends at the library, so technically I only needed to book Friday off. Luckily, I had a decent amount of holiday left to take so I threw in a couple extra days to spend some quality time with Charlie after the reunion.

The drive from Seattle went relatively quickly, partly thanks to our decision to set off before the early morning rush, and secondly because of Rosalie's reluctance to stick to the speed limit. And as we came towards the familiar welcome to Forks sign on the outskirts of town I had to admit that it was nice to be back in the only real home I'd ever know.

After my parents split when I was two years old I was dragged from pillow to post thanks to my mothers constant need for a change of scene, or more commonly the location of her latest love interest. When I'd had enough of moving around from state to state, barely having time to settle in or even a chance to form any lasting friendships, I decided to move in with my dad. It was the most comfortable and stable I'd ever felt.

Since graduating from college I hadn't had the chance to come home nearly as often as I would have liked. Last year I'd only made it back for thanksgiving and Christmas and I would have felt guilty, if it weren't for the fact that Charlie had his own life now.

He married his second wife, Sue a few years back and the two of them couldn't have been better suited. They had started seeing each other in my senior year of high school and I couldn't have been happier for them. Charlie had been alone since my mother left him all those years ago and I was glad that he had finally found someone more suited to his calm, laid back personality. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother to bits but she has a tendency to be selfish, brash, and headstrong, Sue on the other hand is considerate, incredibly thoughtful, and reserved, and thus a much better fit for my father.

Along with a new step mother, I gained a step brother and sister too. I had always been an only child but it was surprisingly easily to adapt to having younger siblings. Seth was the little brother I'd never had but always secretly wanted. We had hit it off right away. He was constantly joking, playfully teasing me, and provoking me to gain my attention, but his persistence had helped me get through that long, difficult summer all those years ago.

While he may be three years younger than me we could easily pass for being the same age! He's ridiculously tall and built, not to mention incredibly athletic, with dark brown hair and matching brown eyes. I tell you many hearts were broken when Seth started seeing his long term boyfriend, Jacob Black.

Leah was only thirteen when our parents started dating so it was bound to be a little difficult for her to adjust to having a new family, but once we got over the initial awkwardness we became quite close. Its hard to believe that she will be leaving for college at the start of September.

Of course, with me being based in Seattle, Seth living with Jake on the reservation and Leah moving away for college the house was far too big for just Charlie and Sue, and only last month they had decided it was time to sell the old had gotten injured in the line of duty and was reluctantly forced into early retirement earlier this year so he was looking for something much smaller and easier to maintain. They had found the perfect bungalow on the reservation near Seth and Jake's place while they waited for the sale to go through.

They didn't have to wait long and the house was on market for less than two weeks before immediately being snapped up by some eager buyer. Who knew that Forks was so desirable?

When my dad phoned to tell me that the sale had gone through I had been devastated. I loved that house. I had many happy memories there and I saw my future linked to it. It was the house I had planned to live in if I ever married. It was the house I pictured my kids growing up in.

At one time I considered moving back home but the fact remained that I shared a flat with Rosalie and I barely had enough money to pay my own rent let alone the up keep of an old, rickety house that was much too big for me anyway.

Sadly it just wasn't meant to be, but at least coming home would give me a chance to go over and have a final look around and make a start on packing up some of my stuff ready for when the new owners moved in.

When we arrived at the reservation Charlie and Sue were waiting for us in the driveway. We emerged from the car I was hugged and squeezed until I thought I would pass out before my family decided to let me take a breathe! I introduced them to Rosalie who received a similar welcome before we went inside.

The rest of the morning flew by and we had a lovely time catching up over a cup of coffee and Sue's famous blueberry muffins before I offered to show Rosalie around the town. I took her to a few of my favorite hang outs and landmarks. However, Forks was so tiny that the tour didn't take very long at all. We did a bit of shopping in Port Angelos before stopping off at my favorite coffee shop on our way home.

Being back in Forks brought back many memories, especially of Edward. There was a time when we came to this coffee shop ever Saturday without fail and as we sipped our coffee I found myself staring off into space, my thoughts of him once again creeping back to haunt me.

"Why so serious?" Rosalie's voice pulled me out of my reverie and I managed a small smile.

"Sorry, just lost in thought." I shrugged. Her gaze searched mine. She could always tell when I was upset.

"Not very happy ones by the looks of it." She suspected.

"Not particularly," I admitted but thankfully she didn't push me. She knew I would talk to her about it if and when I was ready.

Not long after that we finished off our drinks and we made our way back to the reservation. Rosalie was pretty anal when it came to other people driving her car, or her baby as she affectionately referred to it. I didn't have any objections. In fact, I was glad that she was driving as it gave me an opportunity to take in the surrounding countryside on the way back. When we passed a familiar clearing in the forest not far from the entrance to the Cullen's house my thoughts drifted to my favorite place in the entire world and I decided then that I needed to go back there later this afternoon.

Later on when we pulled into the driveway I waited until we were inside the house and had packed away all of our purchases from the store before turning to face Rosalie.

"Are you alright here on your own for a while? There is someplace I need to go real quick." I told her, keeping it simple. I didn't want to go into detail about where I was going. As selfish as it sounds, the meadow was mine and Edward's secret place. Not even Esme or Charlie knew about it and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Sure. Do you want some company?" Rosalie kindly offered.

"No thanks. This is something I need to do on my own." I told her. Thankfully she didn't seem offended. Instead she smiled and offered to make a start on dinner while I was gone.

Despite Rosalie's offer to take her car I borrowed Charlie's old truck car out of the garage and ten minutes later I pulled up on a dirt track off the main road before continuing my journey on foot. The climb through the forest was exhausting and much more arduous than I remembered, but it was so worth the trek when I reached my destination five minutes later.

For a moment or two I was temporarily breathless. The meadow was exactly as it had been all those years ago; the flowers were out in full bloom, there were trees as far as the eye can see and other than the sound of the water trickling down a nearby stream and the birds chirping in the trees it was silent.

It was beautiful-a place of comfort and serenity.

So much had happened in the last five years but it felt like just yesterday that Edward and I were here. We came here most weekends, having picnics, lying around in the grass, talking for hours about everything and nothing. We discussed our hopes, our dreams and our plans for the future. We were in our own little world. It was here that I'd dreamed Edward and I would share our first kiss and much much more, though sadly it didn't work out that way.

Spreading out my jacket on to the floor, I lay back in the grass and picked up where yesterdays daydream left off

_I couldn't believe I was actually going to a party this evening- A party at Mike Newtons house no less!_

_I wasn't particularly excited at the prospect of being around him and all those other try hards but it couldn't be that bad, right? And at least Edward would be there besides me. When our graduation ceremony started to wind down we made plans for later this evening and once it had been decided that Edward would pick me up at my house at 7 I said goodbye to him and his parents before I went to find Charlie. __I found him at the gymnasium talking with principle Burdie and I told him I was heading home. He didn't seem surprised- he knew that I was shy and uncomfortable in large groups. _

_A couple of hours later, after a shower and a change of clothes and a touch of make up I was finally ready to go. It was just as well really because Edward would be here any minute now.__ On my way out I bumped into Charlie when I came down the stairs._

"_You look em... different," he said diplomatically. I suppose it was a change for him to see me in anything other than jeans and a T-shirt. Come to think of it, the last time I'd worn a dress was to my grandmas 60th birthday party five years ago when I was an awkward 13 year old!_

"_Where are you off to? Is Edward taking you somewhere nice this evening?" Charlie asked._

"_We're just going to a party at one of the kids from schools house." I answered honestly._

"_A party?" he repeated, shocked._

_Charlie was obviously surprised but thankfully he spared giving me a lecture on the perils of under-age drinking and staying safe. He knew he didn't need to worry about me 'going wild'. I was too much of a good girl for that. Besides, I had Edward with me and Charlie trusted him completely. _

_After saying goodbye to Charlie I made my way outside where I found Edward patiently waiting for me by the door. He looked a little surprised when he took in the dress I was wearing. I guess I usually didn't make that much of an effort but today was different; I was determined to look nice and if I'm honest I wanted to make Edward notice me._

_"You look...nice." He finally said after a lengthy pause._

"_So do you." I agreed. It was the truth. He looked absolutely fantastic. Gone were his usual navy blue pants and thick jumpers, and in its place were a pair of black fitted jeans, a casual green shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes and my favourite tatty grey converse. Only the glasses he wore hinted at the old Edward but I was glad he had kept them on. I loved those glasses, even if they did hide his best feature!_

_Apparently I had been admiring him far too long because Edward was quick to hurry me along._

_"Come on, lets get going," he said as he bounced down the steps to the street and opened his car door for me. I laughed at his eagerness and slid into the passenger seat with a smile when Edward got in alongside me and started the car._

_We didn't speak much on the way to the party, both of us lost in our own thoughts, I guess. The silence wasn't an uncomfortable one but I felt nervous and__ I didn't know why. Perhaps it was the idea of being around my classmates, or maybe it was the thought of Edward leaving in a few days that had me feeling so uncertain._

_Either way, I didn't have time to ponder for long because ten minutes later we pulled up in front of Mike's house. Nerves and panic flooded me as I stepped out of the car but thankfully Edward was on hand to calm me down. __He leaned closer, his face impossibly close to mine as he took my hand in his._

"_Relax Bella, you look great. If you don't want to stay just say the word and I will take you home." He offered, sensing my nerves._

"_No, I'm fine. I can do this," I reaffirmed._

_Edward didn't look convinced but he squeezed my hand nonetheless and I relaxed instantly. The fact that he was there reassured me. I could feel him right besides me, strong, reliable and resolute. I could take on the world with him by my side._

_As he started leading me towards the house I didn't know what to expect. Its a little embarrassing to admit but I'd never been to a house party before. Still, __I followed Edward through the doorway, his fingers laced with mine as he led me toward the living room where a crowd was already gathered __around a large table filled with beers, spirits and red paper cups (I assumed that was just something in movies.)_

_I noticed many heads turn in our direction, mostly the girls who were likely admiring Edward's new look. That or they__ were surprised we were here in the first place. __Most of the time people tended to brush past me as though I didn't exist but I was okay with that. I was used to it by now, so it was more than a little surprising to be noticed._

_Regardless, __I tried hard not to let their blatant staring affect me. __Of course, i__t helped that Edward was besides me and I could ignore the pointed stares and whispers from the other people in the room wondering what we were doing here._

_Putting my uneasiness aside, I tried hard to appear like I was enjoying myself. I was a little uncomfortable to start with but I soon loosened up after my first drink. In all fairness it was no where near as bad as I had thought it would be. Sure, there was a few guys a little worse for wear after some pretty heavy drinking games, couples making out, and a pretty intimate game of truth of dare that we had thankfully managed to avoid but overall it was pretty tame._

_The house was packed full of people, a few of which really surprised me. I spotted my friend Angela on the far side of the room and she kept me company when Edward went to get us some more drinks. When__ he returned I stayed glued to his side while the music got louder and the crowd became more boisterous._

_After a while it became a little crowded and I was relieved when Edward asked me if I wanted to go outside to get some air and have a few minutes peace and quiet._

_When I nodded eagerly his mouth quirked again as he glanced at the cup I had in my hands and then he took the cup, his fingers sliding across mine. I followed him through the house, as he led me outside where we found a seat on the porch steps, away from some of the people who were either passed out, making out or puking on the lawn_

_Edward__ wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. My heart stuttered and I leaned back against him without thinking about it. It was so natural, so easy like this and I could almost __forget about the heartache that lay ahead and that in just a few hours I would have to say goodbye to him._

"_So was tonight as bad as you thought?" Edward asked, amused__._

"_No, worse." I teased._

"Geeze, thanks Bella." He tried to sound offended and nudged my shoulder playfully.

"You know what I mean. Its just a little crazy in there." I looked up at Edward who seemed to be debating something. I was intrigued but I didn't want to push him.

"_Do you want to know something really crazy?" he half smiled._

"_Go on?" I encouraged._

"_I've enrolled into acting classes in the fall." Edward said shyly._

"_Really?" I asked surprised but nonetheless genuinely happy. For as long as I had know him, Edward had been interested in drama and had wanted to take acting classes. However he had always pushed his dreams and aspirations aside in favour of his studies._

"_Yeah, I figured I'd give it a go. Mom and dad were surprised but as long as I keep up with my studies I'm sure they'll get used to it."_

"_That's great Edward." I smiled. "You should do what makes you happy, not what your family want. I'm sure they'll understand. You should follow your dreams. I believe in you." I squeezed his hand tightly and looked across at Edward who was smiling shyly._

"_Thanks Bella. Thank you for always being there for me, and for coming here tonight. I know you had your doubts," he said._

"_I'm glad we came." I admitted._

"_Yeah?" He seemed surprised by my admission._

"_Yeah, it feels like the right way to mark the end of high school." We both went quiet for a minute as the significance of my words set in. This was it- no more high school. Soon enough everyone would be going their separate ways. I doubted I would see many of my classmates after today._

"_I wonder where we'll all be in ten years time?" I asked aloud, though I knew with absolute certainty that in ten years time I wouldn't care where I was so long as I was with Edward._

_I felt him take my hand in his and I shuddered when he softly stroked his thumb across the back of my hand. "In ten years time all these jocks will telling stories of the good old days over a beer while the geeks will be ruling the world. Who knows where the Tanya Denali's and Lauren Mallory's of this world will be," he shuddered before his expression turned serious._

"_One thing I do know is that you, Bella swan, you'll make something of yourself. Y__o__u will go far. That I am sure of." He told me firmly. __I sent him a unconvinced look._

"_You're wrong about me, you know." I__ laughed and shook my head. "I'm nothing special."_

_Edward__ cast me a strange look somewhere between angry and confused. "How can you say that?"_

"_Because its true. Look at me Edward! I'm very ordinary, plain, and boring." I admitted embarrassed and when I looked up into his eyes he was staring at me intently._

"_Bella, how can you say that? You are far from ordinary. I don't ever want to hear you say that. Don't you know how beautiful you are?" he asked, __his green eyes searching mine._

___"Edward...I..." I opened my mouth to protest__but he laid his fingers on my lips to silence me._

_"I'm mean it Bella. You're the smartest, funniest, prettiest girl I have ever been blessed to know. I think your amazing Isabella." He told me with such passion that I was temporarily speechless._

_His confession caused my__ face to flush and I looked down at the ground. __I never could take compliments very well. According to Edward, it was my greatest weakness._

_I continued to stare down at the floor when I__ felt Edward's fingers under my chin. He lifted my face so I could meet his gaze once more. His eyes danced over my face, his eyes met mine, and then focused on my lips. Suddenly, a determined look appeared in his eyes and my heart seemed to stop beating altogether when he lowered his head towards mine and__ then, with the slightest, most gentlest of touches his mouth found mine._

_He kissed me slowly, his lips pressing firmly but not too hard against mine. I froze initially too shocked __to respond as the lips I had long dreamt about kissing lightly touched mine. __It started off__ sweet and fairly innocent at first, almost like he was testing the waters to see if I pulled away. I didn't. I couldn't. It was like our lips were two magnet pulling against one another._

_Sure, it was a little __awkward at first. It was my first kiss and Edward's too as far as I know, but if he was nervous he didn't show it. He confidently bought his hand up to the back of my head, tangling the strands in between his fingers as he quickly took control of the kiss. His lips that were so gentle at first were now crashing against mine. I closed my eyes and went with it. __Ignoring the trembling in my fingers I reached for him hesitantly. I __put my hands on his shoulders and felt his arms slide around my waist, his fingers moving up and down my spine, touching, stroking __anywhere he could reach before his one hand clung to my waist, the other found its way into my hair, pulling me even closer to him. His lips parted mine urgently and I arched my body closer to his as he tongue softly stroked mine._

_I never wanted it to end but I felt myself getting dizzy from Edward's kisses and a lack of oxygen forced us to part._

_When I finally opened my eyes and looked up at he was looking at me so intently that I forgot how to breathe. We didn't say anything to one another and if I'm honest I don't think I could have put exactly how I was feeling into words. Instead I relaxed when __Edward tucked me into his side and kissed the top of my hair. _

_I had never been happier or felt as close to him as I did in that moment. We stayed like that for a long time until Edward leaned down__ and kissed my forehead again before suggesting that it was time we made a move._

"_We should probably go back inside. Its much too cold to be out here. You're shivering__." He whispered against my ear._

_As tempting as it was to stay in his arms all evening, the night was coming to an end and Edward was right, I was starting to feel a little cold. I buried my face in his neck for a moment, breathing in the wonderful scent of him before I reluctantly agreed. "I suppose we should go back inside."_

_As soon as we'd made our way back inside I immediately wanted to go somewhere, anywhere else where it was just the two of us so that we could talk about what had just happened and hopefully pick up where we left_

_"So, we've made an appearance. Do you fancy getting out of here? " Edward asked, nervously looking down at the ground._

_"Sure," I nodded enthusiastically._

_Edward opened the doors and placed his hand on my lower back to guide me through ahead of him towards the kitchen where I spotted Angela hovering by the fridge. We made our way towards her and I nodded appreciatively when Edward offering to go and get our coats from the living room._

_"I'll be back soon." He smiled shyly and I could feel my own smile widen. Even as I watched him walk out of the room I still couldn't wipe the ridiculous smile off my face._

_"Why are you smiling like that?" I heard Angela ask which eventually snapped me out of my Edward induced haze. I turned back to her, trying to look innocent._

_"Like what? I always smile like that." I played dumb but I think my blush gave me away._

_"Not like that you don't," she said knowingly. "You have this dreamy look on your face. You like him don't you? You really like him!"_

_I thought about it for a minute before I answered her honestly. "Yes. Its scary but yeah I do like him." It was a relief to finally admit it out loud._

_"I'm glad. Its about time you two stopped dancing around each other. Have you told him how you feel?" she pressed._

_"No, not yet. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on him. Things between us are so good right now, I don't want to rock the boat. And besides where would it go? He's leaving the day after tomorrow for the whole summer and then we'll be at different colleges hundreds of miles apart. How would it ever work out?" I sighed. I felt a tug at my heart at the reality of the situation set in. Why had I waited so long and wasted what time we had?_

_"Bella, you love him, he loves you. You'll find a way to make it work." she said positively._

_I wanted to believe her. I really did, but at the same time I didn't want to get my hopes up. It was only a kiss after all. What if I was reading too much into it? Edward hadn't actually said he liked me back. He hadn't actually said a lot since which was a little worrying._

_"How can you be so sure he feels the same way?" I asked sheepishly._

_"Trust me, I've got eyes. I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks you're not looking. Heck, he's almost as obsessed with you as Eric is!" she teased and my smiled quickly turned into a scowl at the mention of his name._

_Eric Yorkie was a sweet boy from my advance science class, who I suppose you could say loosely counted as a friend. I worked with him at the school library and he was Edward's Chemistry partner too and as a result __he sometimes had lunch with us when they had a project to discuss. __O__ur interactions were usually limited to that but earlier on this evening when Edward had gone to get us some more drinks he'd come over and asked me out. __Not being used to the attention I had stuttered and stood there awkwardly before finally rushing off to see what was taking Edward so long._

"_Yeah, he kind of tried it on with me earlier," I cringed telling Angela a brief version of what happened. __"God Ang, it was so awkward! He's a lovely guy and I really do like him, just not in that way."_

"_Bella, I know you don't want to hurt his feelings but you have to tell him the truth. It will be better for him in the long run if you just tell him that you're not interested."_

_"I guess you're right. I'll speak to him soon. Hopefully he will understand that it would be better if we were friends." I said casually before turning the conversation towards her plans for the summer holidays._

_It seemed to take forever but when Edward finally returned with our coats it swiftly became evident that something wasn't quite right. He was acting strangely; he was quiet, distant and he wouldn't meet my eye._

_I knew something was bothering him but when I asked him about it he just brushed it off, saying he was simply tired and wanted to go home._

_Confused, and a little concerned by his odd behaviour I said goodbye to Angela before making my way outside with Edward. This time he made no move to take my hand in his as we weaved our way through the bodies of people blocking the hallway. As I struggled to keep up with him I spotted Tanya Denali smirking in my direction but I ignored her and followed Edward outside._

_The car ride home was silent and awkward as I made idle chit chat which he didn't return. I was anxious at his behaviour. Edward was uncharacteristically quiet and that worried me. Did he regret the kiss? Was that what he was so nervous about? I hoped not._

_I was desperate to know what was going on with him and once again I was tempted to ask if everything was all right but my mouth suddenly seemed so dry. We had talked so freely all night but now I couldn't get my words out and it seemed surprisingly awkward between the two of us. My mind was buzzing with all kinds of __questions and theories and when he pulled up outside my home I was determined to talk to him._

_When Edward walked me to my door he__ lingered in the doorway, not coming inside and __I frowned slightly as I tried to think of something to say. __He stood motionless,__ his h__ands buried deep in his pockets, his eyes unable to meet mine. I had never seen him like this before. It made me nervous and we stood there for a while, both seemingly struggling for words before I forced myself to break the unbearable silence._

"_Do you want to come inside?" I asked hopefully._

_Thankfully Charlie was on a late shift tonight, that or he was out on a date with Sue, I wasn't sure which. Either way it would give us time and some privacy to talk properly. It was now or never. Whatever the consequences tonight was the night I was finally going to tell him how I felt. After the kiss I was so ready to tell him I feared I would burst. I had nothing to loose._

"_Edward there's something we need to talk about." I somehow managed to refrain from blurting out that I loved him, that I had been in love with him since the second I laid eyes on him and that I couldn't stand the thought of being so far away from him._

_Edward__ didn't respond for nearly ten seconds after that and when he finally met my gaze __I watched as his face fell. I panicked slightly. Did I do something wrong?_

"_I'm sorry Bella but I really should be__ headed home. __Its late and I still have a load of packing to do__'' he said quietly. __My heart sank and I sighed heavily._

_"Oh," I said brokenly. I could even find it in me to beg him to stay._

_He stepped back from me and looked as though he didn't know what to say._

_"So I guess this is where we say goodbye then?" he said finally, his voice showing no real emotion. __He didn't even seem upset that I wouldn't be seeing him again until the end of the summer__. I__ was confused and upset by his coldness but I tried to mask my tears. I don't think I succeeded._

"_I guess so," I agreed.__ I said my voice sounding as final and defeated as his. __"Have fun in England," I said softly, my eyes reflecting the sadness again. _

_He opened his mouth to speak then stopped himself from saying whatever it was he was about to say mid sentence._

_I couldn't believe this was it. I wasn't even capable of speaking now. Certainly any plans I had to confess my love for him were swiftly put on hold. My heart was broken, shattered, but I refused to cry until I was inside the house. I felt an instant loss already but I forced myself not to break down in front of him, as it would only prolong the torment for both of us. Edward hated seeing me upset and I didn't want to cause him any unnecessary pain._

_I tried to hold it together, really I did, but when Edward__ regarded me in silence for a long moment I felt my resolve weakening. I tried to smile but a few tears slipped over my cheeks and I was about to wipe them away when Edward took me in his arms and held me close._

"_Please, don't cry Bella," he whispered into my hair. "I cant stand to see you cry."_

_H__e put his arm around me and hugged me for a long time. Then after what seemed like a lifetime, but not nearly long enough he pulled away. He leaned down to kiss my forehead so quickly that I almost thought I had imagined it._

_I was utterly devastated when Edward took a step away from me. __It was strange; he had that oddest expression that for the life of me I still couldn't understand._

"_Goodbye Bella," he said finally._

"_Goodbye Edward." I repeated, my voice sounding flat and as final as his._

_He eyed me sadly and __I watched as he turned and walked away. When he reached his car he looked my way and offered me that crooked smile that always took my breathe away, only this time it didn't quite reach his eyes.__ His smile a curious mixture of appreciation and regret. __Tears welled behind my eyes, when he raised his hand and waved "goodbye" before __he __opened his car door and jumped inside._

_He didn't look back again._

_Not once._

_Reluctantly, I watched as his car pulled out of the driveway. I heard the churning of the engine and the tyres crunching on the path but I couldn't move. I must have stood alone in the cold and dark, staring down the road Edward had disappeared down for a good ten minutes before I was sure he wasn't coming back. Only then did I turn and walk inside. The tears I'd held in for so long followed soon after._

Looking back, if I'd have known then that that was the last time I would ever see Edward Cullen then I would have put up more of a fight. I'd have been strong and demanded he stayed, at least until I had told him how I felt. Instead, I simply stood there and let him go, thinking there would be another time, another chance for me to tell him how I felt. I had genuinely thought I would see him again, but Edward went straight to college from Europe. He didn't come back to Forks, not even to collect his things at the end of the summer.

For a long time I wondered why that was and how we had lost touch but I suppose our time together ran out. Some things just aren't meant to be and sadly me and Edward Cullen were one of them.

****A/N: Well, that was a lot sadder than I originally planned:( But at least another little piece to the puzzle has been revealed. So do you guys have any theories about where it all went wrong? I'd love to hear if you do...****

****Now that we are on the subject of opinions; What do you think? Do you like the flashbacks or am I dragging it out too much? I want to explain as much as I can about the past but would you prefer it if I moved straight into the big reunion?****

****HA! Jake is gay. Sorry I couldn't resist. As some of you will know from my other stories, I'm not a Jacob lover. Team Edward all the way!****

****Show me some love and the next chapter will be on its way as soon as I can.****

****Me x****


	4. Blast from the past

**A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is coming to you much later than planned. I've had a pretty s**t couple of weeks. I wont bore you with the details but hopefully things are on the up now:)**

**Reviews have been falling over the last few chapters but I appreciate each and every once of you who continue to read and review this story. It was nice to hear some of your thoughts and theories. I wont spoil it by saying if any were close to the mark as all will be revealed shortly anyway. Hopefully I have a few surprises too.**

**Finally, thanks ******to my fabulous new beta, Layla for finding the time to check over this and making it a million times better than it originally was. ****

**Okay, on to the chapter. It's another long one because finally we get to what this story has been building up to; The reunion!**

~*Chapter 4*~

It had been a surprisingly nice afternoon in Forks so I ended up staying in the meadow longer than I'd originally planned. It was easy to loose track of time and be distracted by the calm, peaceful surroundings. And my thoughts quickly drifted back to Edward as they had done so many times. It was hard not to. There was so much unfinished business between the two of us and even now after all the time that had passed I often wondered where it had all gone so wrong.

For a long time I blamed myself for the way we had parted and even now I can remember how miserable that summer after graduation had been. The first few weeks were complete and utter torture. I hadn't known what to do with myself and I had spent most of my time moping around the house waiting for Edward to call.

I thought, at the very least, we would keep in touch but in reality I had very limited contact with him. Apart from the postcard I received a week after he left, a few emails and the odd text message we had very little to do with each other. I couldn't explain it but it felt like something had changed, something was different between the two of us but I didn't know what. The only conclusion I could come to was that the kiss had freaked him out. It would explain his sudden disinterest in me.

Time passed by slowly and I spent most of that summer wallowing in self pity. Not even Charlie, who'd seen the worst of my teenage tantrums, had known what to do with me. He actively encouraged me to go out and enjoy myself and make the most of my summer off but instead I sat in my bedroom moping.

I tried to move on really I did, but everywhere I turned there were reminders of Edward. Even the coffee shop owner, Maria, could see that I was down and tried to cheer me up one afternoon when she brought over some chocolate cake, but there are some things even gooey chocolate can't solve.

Charlie was worried about me and eventually even he got fed up with my moping and I found out later that he actually paid Seth to take me out for coffee. When I refused to let him come with me he followed me to the coffee shop anyway. I had been strong and I refused to let others see how much I was hurting but the moment Seth took my hand in his, all the emotions of Edward's departure finally got the better of me and I broke down.

I confided in Seth. I told him everything- about the kiss, about the awkwardness afterward, Edward's distance since and more importantly how I feared I would never see him again. Seth was supportive throughout. He squeezed my hand when he could see that I was struggling to hold it all together, he comforted me when my resolve weakened and he wiped away the tears that finally made their way out.

When I had calmed down he said all the right things that should have made me feel better, but no matter how much he tried to reassure me that Edward would be back soon, there was just something in the back of my mind that kept telling me that our goodbye wasn't just for the summer, it felt like forever.

After my breakdown of sorts I had been determined to pull myself together and push my fears aside, at least until Edward was back from his trip and I could have it out with him then. Except, a month later my plans for a big heart to heart were dashed when I received an email from Edward saying he was having a great time in England and was sorry that he wouldn't be back in time to meet me before college started.

I was heartbroken and so incredibly disappointed that I wouldn't see him before college, but more than that, I was angry with myself for reading too much into a single kiss. Really, what was I thinking? I felt incredibly foolish for ever thinking I had a chance with him in the first place. This latest development only proved that any attraction between the two of us was obviously one sided.

After that I had known that I needed to at least try and move on and forget about Edward and all those foolish hopes I'd once had. So I went off to college, I made friends and I moved on with my life in the best way I could. I wish I could say that time was a great healer but sadly that just isn't the case. Rosalie encouraged me to move on and try dating some other guys but I didn't want to. I hadn't even tried because as far as I was concerned if I couldn't have Edward then I didn't want anyone else. Rosalie said I was only hurting myself but I refused to settle for anyone else and really how do you move on? How do you get over the love of your life?

I told Rosalie I didn't need a man but the truth was that I feared I would never have it in me to open my heart up again. I had no intention of experiencing that kind of rejection again. And in my own selfish way I held hope that some how, some way, Edward and I would be together but over the years we lost touch.

Throughout our first year at college we text and sent the odd email from time to time but Edward seemed different, more distant – like he was shutting himself off from me and I couldn't understand why. By the second year our texting had stopped and instead we email from time to time. By the third year even that had stopped all together.

Throughout all of this I remained close to Edward's parents, Esme and Carlisle Cullen and I would always drop by to see them whenever I came home for the holidays and the occasional weekend in Forks. Esme was the mother I'd never had and I couldn't cut her out of my life no matter how painful it was to be reminded of the gaping big whole in my life now that Edward was gone.

I always made a point of asking how he was and if he was coming home any time soon but Esme seemed upset whenever I mentioned it, perhaps it was because she knew me so well and despite the valiant act I put on, she could see the hurt caused by his rejection in my eyes.

She said Edward was always asking about me but I think she only said it because she felt sorry for me. She certainly never mentioned any girlfriends but again I think she only did that to spare my feelings.

It was from Esme that I heard all about how Edward had landed the leading role in a major motion picture straight out of college. Apparently a casting agent had spotted him on the street and thought he'd be the perfect candidate for the role that had later catapulted him into the nation's spotlight. His career went from strength to strength and the rest as they say is history.

Esme was a dotting mother and she couldn't have been more delighted and proud of Edward's success, even if his hectic schedule meant he rarely came home. When I say rarely, I mean never! It was like he was avoiding the place and if I didn't know any better I would have thought he was avoiding Forks. Carlisle and Esme always went out to him on location, and even at Christmas they went off on there expensive holidays rather than spend the holidays in Forks.

I knew all this because I kept track of him online. Could I sound anymore like a stalker?

It gets worse. You see, I went to see all of his films, read every magazine he was featured in, bought every DVD. Heck, I'd probably seen every interview he'd ever given.

Even with his new found fame Edward was still a very private, reclusive person. He lived like a monk or so you would think from the lack of publicity over his private life. He was never seen with anybody and he was never pictured staggering drunk out of a nightclub surrounded by a string of blonde beauties.

In interviews his love life was strictly off limits but I'd checked his Facebook status enough times to know that he was currently still single, though I suppose that didn't really mean anything.

He was constantly at the top of every "50 hottest bachelors" list which led many to speculate that he was gay. Maybe he was? Maybe that was why he rejected me? No, there's no way Edward Cullen was gay.

Beside, I doubted he had the time to date because in the last year alone he had filmed over 5 movies all over the world. Edward was very dedicated to his craft, shooting 15 films in the last 2 years, making him one of the most prolific and hard-working actors in Hollywood.

I always knew that Edward was destined for things far greater than what Forks or I could offer him but never in a million years could I have foreseen his success. He was one of the most wanted movie stars on the planet. And me? What did I do while Edward was busy reinventing himself and becoming one of the most famous actors in the country?

Not a lot if I'm honest. Sure, I had a nice, little apartment, a job I liked but didn't love and incredible friends and family but I wasn't truly happy, not really. If I'm being honest with myself I hadn't been truly happy in a long time. It was a pretty depressing thought but I was determined not to ruin the rest of my time at home by wallowing over the past.

I spent most of Saturday morning with Sue and Charlie down at the reservation before heading over to the old house in Forks later in the afternoon to make a start on packing up my stuff.

I hadn't got a lot of things but there were still many of my belongings that I would need to take back with me or at least put into storage. Thankfully it didn't take anywhere near as long as I expected it would to separate what was too old to salvage that needed to be thrown away, what could be donated to charity, and finally what was coming back to Seattle with me. And once I had finished packing everything up Rosalie helped me take the boxes downstairs ready for collecting on Monday morning before we left Forks.

After that, it was time to start getting ready for the reunion!

Surprisingly, I was no where near as nervous as I thought I would be and in a way I was actually looking forward to it. It would be weird though, seeing all those people that I hadn't seen for a long time and I wondered whatever happened to all those people that were so "important and popular" in high school. Rarely does that translate into life after school.

I also wondered if people would recognize me- I doubted it. I hadn't exactly been the life and soul of the party. In fact, I would be completely shocked if anyone even remembered me at all. I didn't particularly care because there were only a handful of people who I wanted to see anyway.

Correction, the one person I wanted to see was Edward.

I wondered if somehow the committee had tracked him down and if he would be attending, but that was highly unlikely and I doubted he would travel thousand of miles across the world to attend a couple hour reunion, with a room full of people he hated almost as much as I did.

Okay, so I will admit that I may have scowered the internet to see if he was in the country. Sadly, my hopes were dashed with the speculation that he was in Europe doing some post production on his latest movie.

Pushing my despondency aside, I started getting ready for the reunion. Anyone who's being completely honest with themselves will say that they want to look good for their reunion and I am no different. I changed outfits three times before I finally settled on a simple black knee length dress and a pair of small black heals.

I left my hair down in loose curls that came down to my waist because Rosalie told me it was one of my best features. She offered to do my make up for me and apart from a little mascara, a little foundation and a dash of lip gloss, she kept my make up to a minimum. According to Rosalie, I didn't want to look like I'd made too much effort; it was better to look natural and healthy than overtly painted in thick layers of heavy make up and perfume.

She refused to let me look in the mirror until she was done and a little while later after she had put the finishing touches to my make up I was finally ready to take a look at what she had created.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, trying to gauge my reaction while I took in my appearance in the full length mirror across the room.

I don't know why Rosalie doubted herself- she was a miracle worker. I hardly recognized the woman in the mirror and I must have stared back at my reflection for a good few minutes before I could take in the stranger in front of me. Gone were the dark circles beneath my eyes and my cheeks had a healthy, dewy flush to them that had nothing to do with my embarrassing blush. Somehow my skin looked smooth and even, like porcelain yet completely natural. I used to hate being so fair skinned but I'd long stopped cursing the paleness of my skin and now people complimented me on it rather than tease me about being as pale as a corpse. Apparently it was the new in thing thanks to some vampire movie phenomenon.

"It's perfect Rosalie." I told her honestly, remembering she had spoken.

"Tonight is going to be so much fun," Rosalie said brightly as she went to the mirror and put the finishing touches to her own make up. "You know I have a good feeling about this evening. Now come on lets get going." She urged as she grabbed her purse and started making her way out of the house.

Throwing caution to the wind, I had one last look at myself in the mirror before grabbing my purse and following after her. After all my worries and doubts I was actually rather looking forward to it.

My excitement lasted all of twenty minutes, right up until the moment we pulled up outside Forks high school. The school was only a short car journey away from the reservation and my stomach suddenly clenched with nerves as I stared at the building I used to call hell!

I could not believe I was doing this and despite the excitement I felt earlier, my nerves were starting to get the better of me and I wondered if perhaps this whole thing had been a mistake.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," I remarked feeling my confidence dip a little.

I wasn't sure what I was so worried about but thankful Rosalie was on hand to calm my last minute jitters. She offered me a reassuring smile and reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Don't be nervous. You can do this Bella," she said encouragingly. "Don't let anybody spoil it for you!"

She was right, of course, I could do this. What had I got to loose anyway? If I hated it we could just leave. I looked up at Rosalie, being the ever calm, cool, and confident person she was and instantly became reassured, that whatever the evening threw at me I could get through it with my best friend by my side supporting me. I gave her a determined smile before declaring, "Okay let's do this."

I took a deep breath and straightened my dress for like the eighth time before I got out of the car and walked through the entrance, heading up the familiar path to the gymnasium.

The minute I stepped inside it was like being in high school all over again, minus the braces and bad hair. The room was decorated how I imagined it would have been at prom with hundreds of balloons spread out around the room, and confetti scattered all over the tables. All of which were adorned in the Forks Spartans colours, of course. There was a DJ setting up at the back of the make shift stage but in the meantime music played from a nearby speaker, blasting out tunes from back in the day. Talk about cliché.

As we walked through the room I noticed that the walls were aligned with a mass of pictures taken over the years and there was even a giant class photo hanging near the back of the hall.

It was by no means spectacular but for the limited budget I'm sure they'd had to work with they hadn't done too bad a job.

Once we made it fully inside I noticed there was a small desk at the side of the room where people were waiting in line, collecting their name tags, I assumed. I made my way over and joined the back of the line and while I waited I had a quick look around the hall for any familiar faces.

It was still quite early yet the hall was already packed full of people but a few of the usual suspects stood out from the crowd immediately. Mike Newton was on the dance floor, hogging the limelight as usual, acting the big man amongst the other former jocks eagerly gathered around him. He looked very much the same as the last time I had seen him; same dirty blonde hair, and cheesy grin, but I did take some satisfaction in the fact that he looked to have piled on a few pounds in recent years.

Stood besides him hanging off his every word was my nemesis Tanya Denali and her bff Lauren Mallory. Both were absolute bitches from hell that made my life a living hell. All through school, they had pushed me around and picked on me for no other reason than the enjoyment they received for making me suffer.

Quickly moving on, I glanced around the room in search of Edward but surprise, surprise there was no sign of him anywhere.

"Is he here yet?" Rosalie asked, catching my gaze.

"Who?" I questioned. She looked at me pointedly before I amended. "No Edward's not here yet and I'm telling you now he won't be either." I murmured, deflated.

Obviously my disappointment must have showed on my face because Rosalie was quick to reassure me. "You don't know that for sure. Its still early" She pointed out.

"I guess so," I agreed, though I wasn't convinced.

We waited in line for another five minutes before we eventually reached the front and was able to sign in. When I approached the table, a man I vaguely recognized from my advance math class asked for my name and when I told him who I was he seemed confused.

"Bella? Bella Swan?" he repeated, obviously surprised. I would have been offended had he not been one of the most harmless guys you could ever meet.  
>"Hiya Riley." I replied. He smiled brightly, obviously happy that I'd remembered his name before he started thumbed through a stack of printed name tags and he handed me one that carried my name.<p>

My full name...

I rarely got called by my full name these days which was just as well really because I hated being called Isabella. Somewhat reluctantly, I took my name badge and peeled it off the backer and stuck it to my jacket pocket.

"It was nice seeing you Riley. Take care." I said, knowing I'd probably not be talking to him again that evening.

"You too Bella," he replied before Rosalie and I headed to the bar to get something to drink. On the way I chanced another glance around the room again and I was relieved to see a friendly face in the crowd.

"Angela!" I exclaimed, as I made my way over to her.

"Bella! Wow! I'm surprised to see you! I haven't seen you since graduation. How are you?" She smiled warmly.

"I'm good thanks. How are you?" I asked.

I was genuinely excited to see her again and while Rosalie went over to get us some drinks we caught up with each other briefly. I found out that Angela Weber was Angela Cheney now, having married her college sweetheart after they graduated. She was about to start teaching English at this very school when she had discovered that she was pregnant with her son Sam who was going to be two in a couple of weeks time.

It sounded like she was doing well for herself, just as I had hoped, since she was one of the few people from high school that I actually liked. It made me sad that I had lost touch with her but I was glad to be catching up with her now and I couldn't have been happier for her when she confided in me that baby number two was on the way.

In return I told her about my life and what I'd been up to since I last saw her. I told her about getting my degree at Washington and how after graduation I started working in a book store in the city.

We quickly settled into easy conversation and I introduced her to Rosalie when she returned with our drinks. A short while later, her husband Ben came over to join us and from what I could gather he seemed to be a nice, smart young man.

The two of them were so painfully perfect for one another it was almost difficult to watch. Seeing the two of them together made me think of my own long lost love and I scanned the room to see if there was any sign of Edward and once again I was left disappointed. I should have known he wouldn't be here.

We stayed talking with Angela and her husband for a while before we said our goodbyes and made a move to mix with the other guests in the room. At first I felt a little uneasy talking so casually with people I had barely even spoke to in high school but as we moved around the groups the easier it became. After a few minutes, I loosened up and then we would end up talking about what we had been up to since high school and what we were doing now and if I was married already. I didn't feel the need to lie to my classmates about some elaborate job or boyfriend so I just told them the truth.

The old Bella Swan would have been awkward and shy answering awkward questions and making small talk with old classmates but I wasn't that person anymore. I was much more confident and assertive and I actually enjoyed catching up with the people I hadn't seen in years.

Besides, there were a lot of people who really surprised me and everyone was genuinely nice and friendly. Everyone except Tanya and Lauren that is. It was obvious that they still to this day, didn't like me but I was determined not to let them spoil my night. They'd been sending me dirty looks for the last half hour but they didn't approach us. Thank God; I'm not sure I would have been able to hold Rosalie back! I could see that it was taking all of her restraint not to go over there and give them a piece of her mind.

However, like I told Rosalie I had long gotten over their indifference to me. As far as I was concerned it was their problem, not mine and I let them get on with it because people like Lauren aren't worth my time or energy. It's strange I thought seeing them again would anger me but if anything I felt sorry for them. Sure, there was a time when I took their teasing to heart but what the Tanya's and Lauren's of this world thought of me didn't bother me any longer.

Some people will never change no matter how much time has passed, but that was their problem, not mine. And really, what did the cliques and popularity contests mean in the real world now anyway? They didn't mean a thing and I wasn't going to let their bitchiness spoil my night.

And so for the next half an hour or so we circulated the room, chatting and laughing with many of the other guests. Most didn't recognize me and I didn't know whether I should be flattered or offended but in the end I took it as a compliment.

Honestly, I wasn't completely sold on the whole reunion idea when the invitation arrived in the post but it was no where near as bad as I thought it was going to be. The only downside was that Edward was a no show and as I moved around the hall reintroducing myself to those classmates I recognized, I continued to keep a keen eye peeled for any sign of him. It was always pointless. I never saw him and I was pretty sure I wasn't likely to.

Still that didn't stop me from looking and I was in the process of scanning the room for the millionth time when I heard Rosalie inhale sharply besides me. I looked across and saw her staring intently in the opposite direction at the main doors where the one and only Emmett McCarthy was walking through.

Her eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the attractive man walking through the door.

"Oh my God! Is that Emmett McCarthy?" Rosalie was barley able to contain her excitement.

"Yep, that's Emmett." I agreed, amused by her star struck expression. I had never seen Rosalie so flustered by a guy.

"You never told me you went to school with Emmett McCarthy. The Emmett McCarthy, defensemen for the LA Kings!" She nearly deafened me with her high pitched scream and I was temporarily too surprised by her excitement to reply. Apparently Rosalie mistook my silence for something else and her expression turned horrified.

"Oh God, please tell me he wasn't one of those kid who taunted you?"

Emmett was pretty much the male version of Tanya at school; popular and good looking. The only difference being that he wasn't a complete bastard to me. He was friendly and more humble than most of the other typical jocks and star athletes. And though I had very little to do with him, seeing as he was the schools star ice hockey player and I was a geek, I had always respected Emmett because he never made me feel inferior and he didn't deliberately go out of his way to put me down like the other cool kids did.

Alongside Edward, he was Forks other big success story. After graduation he got a scholarship to one of the countries top colleges and had rose through the ranks dramatically. He was drafted into the NHL a few years back and has been one of the most consistent players in the league ever since. I wasn't really into sports but my dad was always praising his performances and his stats so it was no great surprise to me when he recently transferred to the LA Kings starting line up.

"Well, are you going to answer me?" Rosalie asked impatiently and I was quick to reassure her. "No, Rosalie. Emmett was actually one of the good guys." I told her honestly, which made her happy.

"Fewww, that's a relief." Rosalie said clearly thrilled. Her smile returned and at that moment I noticed Emmett looking over in our direction and the two exchanged coy smiles.

I suspected it wouldn't take long for Rosalie to work her magic on him and we had just moved to the side of the dance-floor when he came over and joined us.

"Nice seeing you again. Emmett." I smiled across at Emmett who greeted me with a warm smile when I extended my hand towards him. As he shook my hand his eyes drifted down to my name badge looking confused.

"Isabella?" He replied clearly not recognizing me. I knew he didn't mean any offence and in a way I could understand him not recognizing me since we'd had very little to do with one another in high school anyway. If I remember correctly I think we only had one class together.

"Bella Swan," I tried again, hoping to trigger his memory. "We had Spanish together."

Emmett looked at me more carefully before he finally exclaimed, "Bella Swan...? The chief's daughter?"

I laughed, amused by his reaction "Yep, that's me. It's nice to see you again Emmett." I told him.

"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you." He apologized before turning his attention to my friend besides me. "Now you didn't go to our school, I'd remember you for sure," he said to Rosalie, a wide smile spreading across his face, dimples appearing in each cheek.

"Emmett McCarthy," he said, extending one hand towards her.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale, Bella's roommate from college." she replied and shook his hand.  
>"Nice to meet you, Rosalie," Emmett said, holding onto her hand a little longer than was necessary.<p>

"You too, Emmett." She was trying to play it cool but I could tell from the glint in her eye that she was excited that he'd come over.

Emmett stayed chatting with us for a while and it wasn't hard to see that Rosalie was taken with him. Judging by the way Emmett was hanging off her every word and how comfortable the two of them were together, I sensed the feeling was mutual. I'd never liked being the third wheel and though they both tried to include me in their conversations I still felt like I was intruding on their moment. I tried to join in the conversation but when Emmett suggested we find a table to sit at I saw my way out. "Why don't you guys go and chat while I have a look around" I suggested.

"You'll be okay?" Rosalie asked uncertainly.

"Sure, Angela is over there somewhere. I wanted to talk with her again anyway," I replied.

After I said goodbye to Emmett and Rosalie I soon found Angela near the side of the dance floor and the two of us soon settled into easy conversation once more.

"Your friend seems happy," she commented. My gaze followed hers and I saw Rosalie and Emmett happily chatting away. They looked to be getting on well. It was almost as though they were in their own little world.

"Yeah, Rosalie has that affect on guys," I laughed.

"Of course, the only thing everyone is interested in is whether Edward Cullen shows up or not!" Angela commented.

It wasn't the first time his name had been mentioned this evening and I was certain it wouldn't be the last but still my heart did an involuntary flip at the mention of his name.

"What ever happened with you and him anyway? You guys were really close at one time. I thought you would have gotten together after graduation for sure," she said innocently.

"We just drifted apart. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." I replied and even I could hear the despondency in my own voice.

Angela looked sympathetic as she said, "That's a shame. I always thought you guys made a perfect couple."

I stayed with Angela for a while, talking and reminiscing about old times before her husband Ben came over and asked her to dance. She offered to stay with me but just because I had no intention of dancing, didn't mean I wanted to spoil their fun either and I told them to go ahead. I had only just said goodbye to Angela when Rosalie come over to join me. I could tell how excited she was to have been spending time with Emmett and however miserable I was that Edward wasn't here I couldn't bring myself to ruin her mood. I tried to put a brave face on it and pretend that I was enjoying myself but despite my best efforts Rosalie saw straight through me and noticed my disappointment.

She squeezed my hand and sent me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry he didn't come tonight, Bella. I know you wanted to see him," she said softly.

"It's okay. I didn't think there was much hope of him being here anyway," I said trying to sound casual but there was no strength behind my tone and Rosalie looked across at me, unconvinced.

"But enough about that, you don't have to waste your night looking after me. I bet Emmett is missing you!" I said brightly, trying to push my disappointment aside.

"I'm not here for Emmett. I'm here for you," she told me fiercely.

"I know that and that's really sweet but I'm fine honestly." I tried to reassure her but she didn't look too convinced.

"Besides, it looks like Emmett is waiting to ask you to dance. You should go and enjoy the crowded and sticky dance floor." I teased, trying to change the subject.

"Come with us?" She asked hopefully.

"Rosalie, you know I've never been much of a dancer, but you guys go ahead." I encouraged her.

"Are you sure you are okay here, Bella?" She asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, I'll be fine on my own," I insisted but I could see she was still conflicted so I pushed on. "Please, just go and have fun!" I repeated more firmly this time.

"Okay, fine I'm going," Rosalie eventually conceded. "But promise me if you get bored you'll come join us, yeah?"

I nodded, knowing full well there was no way in hell I would be joining them or anybody else on the dance floor given my two left feet and terrible sense of balance.

"Just go!" I playfully pushed her towards the dance floor before heading to the bar to get another drink.

I'd just ordered my drink when I spotted Mike Newton approaching the bar. I had spent much of the night avoiding him, but unfortunately my luck had run out. I tried to avoid making eye contact with him but it was too late- he'd already spotted me and was making his way over to me while I waited for the waiter to return with my drink.

"Bella Swan is that really you?" Mike asked, looking at my name tag. "I didn't recognize you! Wow! You've certainly changed! And all for the better, I might add." He said, his eyes roaming over me appraisingly.

Smug bastard. It seems some people never change; he was just as dense and perverted as he was back in high school. I narrowed my eyes at him and tried to move away but his hand fell on my arm and held me in place.

"So, Isabella, it's been a long time. No more braces, huh?" he smirked.

"Yeah, no more braces!" I muttered already growing tired of him. Did I mention that I hadn't worn braces since I was a junior?

I tried to get away from Mike but unfortunately for the next ten minutes or so I was stuck with him and we made polite small talk while getting evil eyes from Tanya. I was putting a brave face on it but Mike was boring me to tears and I wondered how soon it would be before I was able to make my excuses and leave. Except whenever I made a move to leave the more determined Mike became. I couldn't shake him off and when I finally made my excuse and escaped to the restroom I was able to breathe a little easier.

With the party in full swing it was easy to slip away unnoticed and once I'd returned from the restroom I easily found a hiding place at the back of the room where I was more than happy to watch the party from a far.

Alone, once again I found my thoughts drifting back to Edward and I had one last look for him. I scanned the hall and all the dancing couples and I sighed in disappointment when I didn't see him.

For a few moments I think I actually laughed at how stupid I had been and I berated myself for getting my hopes up in the first place. Okay so I knew the chances of him being here was slim to none but that didn't make it any easier and in back of my mind I had stupidity convinced myself that despite all the reasons against it he would still be here.

So much for the reunion being good for me. Tonight was meant to be about finding closure and moving on but all I felt was sadness and disappointment. I was debating going back to the party and telling Rosalie that I was going home when a voice broke my contemplation and when I turned around none other than Tanya Denali was stood behind me looking incredibly smug.

"He's not coming then I take it? Ahhh, poor Bella, still the sad, pathetic loser that you were in high school. No wonder Edward never came back." she taunted, laughing cruelly.

She only said it to belittle me and to make me feel bad but I refused to bite back. She was obviously the same bitter girl from high school who was trying to make herself feel better by putting others down and I definitely wouldn't give her the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of me.

"You done, Tanya?" I said totally deadpan, which seemed to piss her off even more.

"Whatever Bella," she hissed before turning and dramatically storming off in the opposite direction.

I was debating whether or not I should slip away unnoticed or rejoin the party when I felt a presence behind me. I froze thinking it was either Tanya coming back to taunt me or Mike trying it on again.

"Its good to see that some things never change. You always did avoid the crowds," said a amused velvety voice that I would recognize anywhere.

My heart jumped to my throat, my pulse began to hammer, and an odd combination of heat and chill gripped me but I wouldn't believe he was here, at least not until I saw him with my own eyes.

I turned slowly, still half expecting him to be a figment of my imagination but the second my eyes lifting to meet his face I gasped. My eyes widen, my mouth dropped open and I stared at him for a long moment before I finally found my voice.

"Edward!" I said a little breathless.

"Hello Bella." He said sending me that breathtaking smile that I loved so much.

**A/N: Come on, you didn't seriously think the reunion would all fit into one chapter did you? There is so much left to come and as much as I hate leaving a chapter on a cliffhanger it had to be done because there just wasn't another break in the story for a long time. Don't hate me too much- the next chapter is already started, I promise! Remember, reviews make me write faster;)**


	5. All that you cant leave behind

**A/N: Hi guys, I'm really sorry this chapter is much later than planned but hopefully it will be worth the wait! Finally we get to meet Edward!**

**I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. There were so many new readers and reviewers in the last chapter, so fingers crossed we will reach the 100 mark with this next chapter!**

~*~All that you can't leave behind~*~

I opened my mouth again, but no words came out and I stayed frozen on the spot staring at Edward for a long moment trying to take it all in. I still couldn't believe he was here. Part of me was horrified, but another, larger part, was thrilled.

He looked even more gorgeous than I remembered; even more perfect than he did on the big screen. All of those magazines and movie posters really didn't do him justice and somehow he was better looking in the flesh. How that was even possible, I wasn't sure.

He wore an immaculate dark grey suit that fit him so perfectly I knew it had to be designer; Gucci? Prada? I wouldn't know –I couldn't exactly afford such luxury.

Time had most certainly been kind to Edward. With his high cheekbones, strong jaw line, his bronze hair styled in its usual untamed mess and those piecing emerald green eyes, he is simply too beautiful to put into words. He made me nervous, anxious and even a little bit afraid just by looking at him but there was still that spark, that indescribable pull towards him.

We stood there staring at each other for a what felt like hours, but was probably only a few seconds. We both were struggling for the right words to say before Edward finally broke the stiffling silence.

"Hello, Bella," he smiled that wonderfully crooked, slightly bashful smile that had my traitorous heart racing and my cheeks flushing like an 16 year old school girl again. So much for moving on.

I expected that when the time came that I saw Edward again all the hurt and betrayal I felt would come to the surface, that I would feel bitter and angry about how he had left Forks and me behind. And I wanted to be mad at him; really I did. Except all of my anger somehow evaporated and the only feelings I had was that of relief and joy that he was actually here.

Perhaps that made me weak and pathetic but I couldn't help the way I felt. I felt a stirring inside of me that I hadn't experienced in years but somehow I managed to regain sense and enough strength to speak.

"Hello Edward." I replied, completely overwhelmed.

"It's wonderful to see you, Bella," Edward exclaimed as he neared extending both arms towards me. Without even thinking about it I went to him and he gathered me in his arms and hugged me closely.

Slowly, he started pulling away from me and I couldn't stop the smile overtaking my face. "It's great to see you too. I can't believe you came," I admitted still in shock at seeing him standing there so casually.

"I could say the same for you. You know I almost didn't believe him when Emmett told me you were here," he teased, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You spoke with Emmett?" I asked surprised. I was shocked by his declaration but what surprised me most was how comfortable the two of us were together. It should have been awkward and uncomfortable being around each other after all these years but somehow it felt natural, easy, it was like he never left, just like old times.

"Yeah, he gave me a warning about who was here." he admitted.

"Since when have you two been best friends?" I asked confusion apparent in my tone.

"It is a little unexpected, I know. But I've bumped into Emmett at a couple of events. He's actually a really cool guy so when he moved to LA earlier this year we started hanging out more." He offered.

"Wow, the footballer and the geek are suddenly the best of friends, who'd have thought it," I said teasingly.

"It's not a likely friendship I'll agree," Edward laughed. "But he's actually a genuinely nice guy once you get to know him."

"There you are!" A high pitched voice suddenly exclaimed and my heart dropped when a beautiful brunette came rushing over to Edward. She was by far one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen, so beautiful I had to look away disheartened.

With his glamorous girlfriend besides him, I was suddenly a lot less pleased to see Edward than I had been a few minutes ago but I tried not to let my disappointment show.

I could feel my cheeks heat up when she turned to face me expectantly. "You must be Isabella," she said, her smile growing.

I was a little taken aback by this stranger knowing my name and my attention was immediately drawn to Edward who looked slightly bashful.

"Bella, this is Alice," he introduced her.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Bella. You're exactly as Edward described," she told me and I blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Alice!" Edward groaned but she seemed undeterred by his warning.

"What? It's true," she said defiantly. "Edward has done nothing but sing your praises since he got the invite." I was flattered by her words but no doubt she was only being kind. Even if Edward had mentioned me it was probably only in passing.

"It's nice to meet you too, Alice." I said quietly, extending my hand towards her, but Alice had a different plan. She ignored my outstretched hand completely and surprised me by pulling me into a warm hug instead. For such a tiny person she has quite some strength. I blushed and attempted to hide my embarrassment when she released me from the hug. When I turned to face Alice a strange look passed on her face and then she smiled so brightly it was as if she'd won the lottery.

"Oh my God! Is this ...?" She started before Edward cut her off.

I was desperate to know what she had been about to say but the moment Edward spoke I was once again drawn in by his voice.

"Yes, Bella was my best friend in high school." He smiled a little uncomfortably and I noticed how he reached up and scratched the back of his neck; a sure sign of when he was nervous.

"Sorry Bella, you will have to excuse Alice, she gets a little carried away sometimes. I was coming on my own but she insisted on coming with me and as you can probably tell I didn't have a much of a say in the matter." Edward chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, I wanted to see for myself how cute Forks is," she said undeterred.

Apparently Alice was a determined little thing but her bossiness was amusing and as much as I wanted to hate her for being with Edward I couldn't find it in me to feel resentful towards her. My first impressions were that she was a lovely, funny person and I was instantly charmed by her zany personality.

"As much as I'd prefer to stay here all night I suppose we can't stay hidden forever." Edward said, drawing my attention back to him. "Shall we go make an appearance?" he suggested.

He looked as keen on the idea as I was but I reluctantly agreed. "Sure why not." I attempted to sound enthusiastic but even Alice noticed my uncertainty.

"It'll be okay, Bella," she said confidently, taking a hold of my hand like we'd known each other for years.

Pretty much as soon as we started making our way toward where the crowd was gathered, the staring and whispering started. Before I had felt okay walking around the room, reacquainting myself with old class mates, but now that almost every person in the room seemed to be focussed on the three of us, I felt incredibly uncomfortable. It was more than a little intimidating so when Edward offered to go and get us some drinks I was grateful for a moments rest bite.

As soon as he went to the bar I could see everyone fighting to chat with him and in the meantime I stayed behind with Alice who was keen to hear all about our high school days. There was something reassuring about Alice that made me open up to her without question and as much as I hated to admit it, I was pleased that Edward had chosen to be with someone who was so genuine and down to earth.

Still, it hurt to think of the two of them together and I wondered how long they had been a couple? Were they serious?

"You okay?" Alice's voice interrupted my contemplation "You looked miles away."

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine," I admitted, glancing back to her. "I guess I'm just a little surprised. I didn't think Edward would come to the reunion," I answered honestly.

"Yeah well Edward has his own reasons for being here." She said cryptically.

I was instantly intrigued by her comments but before I had the chance to question her further Edward returned with our drinks in hand. He handed me my glass and when our fingers brushed I felt a jolt run through me. My eyes met his and he gazed back at me with a matching look of shock on his face. Had he felt it too? I looked away quickly hoping Alice didn't witness our exchange.

Thankfully she didn't seem to have noticed and after a few uncomfortable moments silence Alice launched into conversation about how quaint she thought Forks was and how she was looking forward to having a few days to explore the area. Before long the three of us were chatting away like the best of friends.

"She's wonderful, Edward," I said when Alice had gone to the restrooms.

"She keeps me in check," he laughed and I cock my head at his statement, thinking it was an odd way to describe his girlfriend. Obviously Edward must have read my confusion because he was quick to explain.

"It's not like that with me and Alice." Edward gave a nervous laugh and shook his head.

"It's okay; you don't have to explain yourself to me." I tried to ease his discomfort. Really, what business was it of mine what their relationship was like?

"She's my publicist, Bella." Edward clarified.

"Oh," I muttered. The relief I felt at hearing Alice wasn't Edwards girlfriend was so great that I didn't know what else to say.

"Sorry. I should have explained. I didn't think about how that would look." Edward apologized, looking away from me.

"I'm not seeing anyone at the moment. Dating is tough in my line of work." His voice was quiet and when he looked back at me, his eyes filled again with something I couldn't name.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between the two of us before his expression suddenly turned more playful. "So what about you? Any jealous boyfriends I need to worry about?"

"Mmm no," I replied embarrassed. It was probably my imagination, but he looked pleased by my answer, judging by the small smile that tugged at his lips. I could feel my cheeks heat up and when Edward reached up a hand and lightly touched my cheek I was sure my blush deepened.

"I've missed that blush." The sincerity in his tone combined with the sad expression on his face silenced me.

He moved his hand away when he spotted Alice returning from the restrooms and the three of us settled down with our drinks at a small table tucked away in the corner of the room. Though Alice talked my ears off, I really liked her and I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled as much. She had such a bubbly and chirpy, bordering on eccentric personality, but she was completely lovable too.

And then there was Edward. He was just as charming, intelligent and funny as he'd always been, and as much as I knew I shouldn't, I felt myself falling for him all over again.

Talking to Edward was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It felt natural. It felt right, like it used to. There was no awkward moments, just two old friends hanging out and reminiscing about the past and certain events that occurred during our years in school together.

A few times I debated bringing up graduation night but I didn't want to spoil it. I was having too much of a nice time to ruin it by dragging up the past.

Moving on to the present Edward spoke briefly about his career though he seemed embarrassed by his success. It's almost like he doesn't truly believe he deserves it and not for one moment did I detect a hint of arrogance. Edward may be famous and gorgeous but underneath the expensive designer suit he was still shy, kind and modest.

A little later Rosalie came over with Emmett to introduce herself and while the others chatted about an upcoming charity event they were due to attend Rosalie discreetly pulled me to one side.

"You look happy," she said, studying me intently. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, tonight has been so much better than I expected." I admitted. Looking across at the three of them laughing and joking I couldn't contain my smile.

"Edward seems nice," Rosalie commented when I stayed silent, lost in thought.

"He is," I replied casually, but I could feel my cheeks getting warmer.

"I know you're happy to see him, Bella, but please be careful." She warned.

Rosalie's serious tone sobered me and inexplicably I felt tears forming at the back of my eyes because I knew she was right. I shouldn't be getting my hopes up.

While I blinked back my tears Rosalie grabbed my hand, giving it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry, I don't want to spoil your fun but I don't want to see you get hurt again either." She said gently.

"It's okay, I'm not letting myself get carried away," I lied. The truth was; I was already far too attached to Edward than was probably healthy and judging by the sceptical look Rosalie sent me I was certain she was on to me.

After I had got a hold of my emotions I looked across at Edward again and noticed a small frown tugged at his lips but it was not long before his dazzling smile returned. Rosalie and Emmett disappeared to the dance floor soon after but me, Edward and Alice remained where we were.

I lost track of time in their company and while I was feeling rather lucky to get to chat with the object of my fixation, I was also not blind to the other women who were interested in Edward. Many times I caught women glancing at me with an expression that was unmistakably envious and I wondered if perhaps I was taking up too much of his time.

"I should probably let you go," I said reluctantly. "Everyone is dying to speak to you."

"I don't care about them," Edward said firmly, looking mildly annoyed. "None of them wanted to know me in high school. No one gave me the time of day except for you, and that was only because you felt sorry for me." He said sadness lacing his words.

"Is that what you thought? That I spent time with you because I felt sorry for you?" I could barely get my words out, I was so shocked.

"I know you did Bella," he said smiling sadly. "You were always too kind for your own good."

I should have been touched by his words but instead all I felt was anger at how terribly wrong he was.

"How can you say that?" I demanded not giving Edward a chance to reply. "I didn't give you the time of day because I felt sorry for you. I gave you the time of day because I was…"

I was in love with you I very nearly said but before I had chance to finish my sentence, I was distracted by the shrill ringing coming from Edward's phone that lay idly on the table. Relieved that I hadn't blurted out my emotions, I turned my attention to the drink in front of me and when I eventually looked back at Edward he offered me an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Bella but I really must take this call." He apologised.

"No problem. Alice will keep me company," I assured him, feeling a little guilty that I had practically ignored her for the past five minutes.

"You and Edward seem pretty close," Alice commented casually when Edward had left the table to take the call.

"Yeah, it's weird though, I thought seeing him again after all this time would be awkward but strangely it feels like nothing has changed. I'm probably not making any sense at all." I had trouble putting into words how I was feeling but Alice seemed to understand what I was saying.

"Not at all," she assured me. "It's not hard to see that you guys have chemistry. That's not something that goes away overnight. Did you guys ever…" Her voice trailed off and I blushed at what she was implying.

"No we didn't." I tried to keep the sadness out of my words but I got the feeling she was on to me.

"Well things have a way of working themselves out in the end." She sounded hopeful before her expression turned playful. "So tell me, what was Edward like as a teenager?"

I smiled thinking back about my shy best friend. "Edward was very quiet and so smart, so focused. Even back then was interested in acting but he didn't pursue it until after high school."

"He didn't need to, Edward was a great actor even then," Alice laughed but I didn't understand what she could mean.

"Why would you say that?" I asked confusion apparent in my tone.

"You still don't know do you?" She stared at me strangely.

"Know what? I don't know what you're talking about Alice." I responded, none the wiser.

I was anxiously awaiting her answer when a harsh voice silenced her. "Alice!" Edward warned.

I was so engrossed in our conversation that I hadn't even noticed him making his way back over to us until he was standing right besides us.

"Everything okay?" I asked, desperate to get away from the slightly tense atmosphere between the two of them.

"Yeah, all sorted," Edward agreed but he still looked a little uncomfortable. "So I forgot to ask earlier but how's Charlie?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

"He's good thanks. He got remarried a few years ago." I told him, a little surprised at the sudden turn of the conversation.

"I remember my mom telling me about that. So who's the lucky lady?" he smiled.

"Do you remember Sue from the reservation?" I replied. When Edward shook his head I reached into my clutch and pulled out my purse to show him the picture I always kept inside.

"That's Sue," I said pointing at the happy smiling face of my step mom. "And next to her is her daughter Leah and her son Seth." I pointed out the two of them and when I glanced up at Edward he had a strange look on his face, but I couldn't quite read it.

"Seth?" he repeated sounding strange.

"Yeah, I finally got the brother I always wanted." I was rambling nervously but Edward's behavior was making me a little uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked puzzled by his reaction.

"It's nothing." Edward looked away, seemingly frustrated as his hands ruffled through his hair.

After the initial awkwardness, Edward seemed to relax and our discussions seemed to flow naturally once more. I asked about Esme and Carlisle and how they were coping with him being away filming so often, and Edward went on to speak of his own discomfort at being away for prolonged periods of time.

By the way he spoke it was painfully clear to see how he missed his family just as much and it made me question why he hadn't return to Forks before now.

"You must really miss them. Did you never think to come back home before now?" I asked, genuinely curious. While I awaited Edward to answer it was strange; he had that oddest expression that for the life of me I still couldn't understand. I noticed that Alice was also acting a little strange, like she knew something I didn't.

"It's hard to explain," Edward answered stiffly, effectively ending the discussion, and I didn't have long to question it because soon after he turned the conversation around on me and this time I was the one answering the questions. I told him all about my job, the apartment I shared with Rosalie, what it was like living in Seattle and a few other insignificant details about my life. Compared to his exciting life it sounded very boring but not once did Edward seem disinterested. If anything, he appeared generally curious about what I'd been up to since the last time we saw one another.

I had managed to avoid dancing all evening but when the first slow song of the night started to play Edward rose from his chair and stepped closer to me and I knew my luck was running out. I felt a flutter of anticipation in my chest when he took my glass out of my hand and placed it on the table and he turned to me with a hopeful expression.

"Dance with me?" he whispered.

I looked up to him, ready to argue. Edward knew better than anyone that I was less than graceful on my feet and I told him as much.

"You can't be serious. You know I can't dance." I tried to warn him but Edward just grinned back.

"I'll risk it," he said, as he took my hand in his and pulled me easily to my feet.

"I'll only make a fool of myself and you!" I hissed, and I quickly drew my hand away from his.

"So?"

"So let's just forget it," I argued but Edward was just as determined.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. Besides you owe me at least one dance." He claimed.

"How do you figure that?" I demanded.

"You denied me the chance to dance with you at prom. I'm not letting you deny me a second time." Edward said full of confidence.

"You didn't even want to go to prom." I declared, flabbergasted.

"No, not without you I didn't." The sincerity in his tone silenced me.

"Please, Bella, just one dance. That's all I'm asking." Edward pleaded.

I wanted to protest but I was unable to form any meaningful argument and reluctantly found myself agreeing. "Oh, all right then," I murmured, defeated.

"Shall we?" he said, sending me that breath-taking smile that I loved so much.

He held out his arm and I took it unsteadily. The contact calmed my nerves quickly and I began to relax as he led me onto the dance floor. The crowd was already thick and I wasn't even sure how we'd make our way through it, but Edward weaved his way through the crowd, keeping a firm hold on my hand as he went. As we made our way across the dance floor, I couldn't help but be aware of the frequent looks we were gathering.

"Everybody is staring." I said, more to myself than Edward, but he heard me anyway. He bent his head to murmur in my ear, "Of course, they are. All the men are jealous of me."

"And the women?" I asked unconvinced.

"Wish they were as beautiful," Edward replied smoothly.

I snorted inelegantly, rolling my eyes at him. "Oh, please." I muttered disbelieving.

Meanwhile Edward shook his head, muttering something under his breath that sounded like 'still clueless even now,' but I couldn't be sure.

When we finally made it onto the centre of the dance floor my panic set in. "Really Edward, I don't think this is such a good idea." I gazed up at him, my eyes wide and panicked but he simply smiled, and taking my hand he slid his fingers into mine. His touch was firm but reassuring as he lifted my hand to the back of his neck while his hands wound around my waist and started moving us along in time to the music.

Sadly I was not exaggerating when I said I couldn't dance. The first steps were a complete disaster and I trod on Edwards toes repeatedly. Thankfully he was a good teacher and he was very patient with me, and miraculously I started enjoying it. It wasn't without difficultly and I stumbled occasionally, but Edward caught me every time and covered my flaws impeccably.

Somehow dancing felt so much easier with him. It felt magical, like it was just the two of us and the music. The rest of the world melted away when Edward was holding me close.

I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes as he swirled us around expertly. I felt at ease and couldn't help smiling a little to myself. I tilted my head up to see the half smirk on Edward's face, then a shiver ran up my spine when I felt his breathe touch my cheek.

The song didn't last nearly long enough and I could have quite happily stayed in Edward's arms forever but when the last notes of the music faded, I realised both the dance and our time together was coming to an end. Even when the song ended we lingered on the dance-floor for a little while and when I lifted my head from Edwards shoulder and looked up into his eyes I was greeted by his brilliant smile and sparkling eyes.

In a whisper barely audible he said. "I'm glad you came tonight Bella. You're the one person I was hoping to see."

"Same here," I replied feeling my heart pounding in my air between us seemed charge or maybe it was just me. "I missed you so much," I admitted in a small, quivering voice.

I heard his breath hitch and watched his eyes fill with an emotion I couldn't place.

"I missed you too. More than I could ever say." He declared, his eyes locked with mine.

My breathing picked up with the intensity in his eyes and I felt a strange pull at my heart but the moment was broken when the song changed to faster, much heavier beat and we quickly made our way back to where Alice was waiting for us.

We had only just sat down at the table when Edwards gaze focussed on something behind me.

"Hey, isn't that Eric Yorkie?" he asked, gesturing behind me

I turned around and cringed at the eager smile he sent my way.

"Some things never change," Edward muttered under his breathe.

"Who's that?" Alice inquired.

"Eric was my chemistry partner but he was more interested in Bella." Edward explained. "I swear he only came over to talk to me about our class assignments so that he could see her." That couldn't have been jealously I detected in in his tone could it?

"It seems you had quite the geeky following in high school," Alice laughed.

"Don't remind me," I laughed awkwardly, blushing furiously as I thought back to that night when he'd asked me out. I still cringed about it, even now.

Apparently Edward must have noticed my embarrassment because he was quick to ask, "Why are you blushing like that?"

Edward was intrigued and I knew that he wouldn't let it drop until I told him why I was so embarrassed so I told him.

"He asked me out once, okay. " I kept it vague, hoping he would leave it there, but sadly he seemed even more curious.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me?" Edward asked. I thought he looked a little hurt, but I was probably imagining it.

"It was a long time ago at the party after graduation. God it was so embarrassing. I didn't know what to say so I just ran off to find you." I laughed awkwardly but Edward didn't seem the see the funny side so I continued babbling on.

"Angela told me I needed to be honest with him but I felt awful telling him that we'd be better as friends." I explained and when I glanced up at Edward he looked absolutely shell shocked and I couldn't understand why.

"What is it?" I asked concerned by his odd behavior. He was literally as pale as a ghost. He appearance changed from that of shock, to one of anger in a half a heart beat.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said accusingly.

"You didn't give me the chance," I snapped my own temper getting the better of me. I couldn't understand why he was being so funny about this and I wasn't about to let him off lightly.

"If I remember correctly you couldn't get out of the party fast enough." I accused, and then remorse immediately flooded me when I took in Edwards's heartbroken expression. What was I missing?

"Bella I... I... I didn't know… I thought," he mumbled incoherently.

"Didn't know what?" I questioned. He wasn't making any sense and after his peculiar reaction earlier I was half fearful of his answer.

"I really need to talk to you in private," Edward said suddenly determined. "About graduation..."

"Let's just forget it," I said instantly dismissing him. I wasn't ready to hear what he had to say about that night. Up until now I'd held it together so well but I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep my emotions hidden if Edward started apologising about the past.

Panicking, I excused myself from the table and went to restroom before either Edward or Alice could stop me. I had just finished and was about to exit the cubicle when the doors swung open and I heard familiar voices talking and I was frozen to the spot by what I was hearing.

"I don't believe for one moment that he will stick with her." I recognised Lauren's catty voice.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter how you wrap it up, he'll soon tire of her. Edward was always too good for her. Granted she looks a lot better than she did in high school but Edward Cullen would never settle for someone like Bella Swan. I give it two weeks before he gets bored and moves onto someone new," Tanya said cruelly.

"Yeah, I bet she thinks she's real special having his attention all night but he's probably got hundreds of girls waiting for him back in LA." Lauren laughed.

All night I'd tried to be the bigger person and ignore there catting remarks and evil stares but there is only so much one person can take. I'd had enough of their bitchiness and I finally snapped. I marched outside determined to have my say once and for all. Tanya looked shocked and Lauren actually looked a little scared but that didn't stop me.

"Yeah I heard what you said and you know what; we are not in highschool anymore. I feel bad that you cant find anything better to do with your time then talk shit about people you knew back in high school. Thats pretty embarrising, grow the hell up!" I said. Before marching back to the party I got an incredible feeling of satisfaction as Lauren and Tanya looked as embarrassed as they made me feel back in high school.

As I came out of the restroom and made my way back into the main hall I saw Edward right away. How anyone could fail to notice him is beyond me, for he was by far the most beautiful, breath-taking man in the room. He was talking with Alice and whatever the two of them were discussing looked to be pretty intense if there stern faces were anything to gage their emotions.

I wasn't ready to face Edward straight away so I went outside to have a few moments away from it all to think and compose myself before I headed back inside.

I didn't realise it at the time but putting on an act and trying to keep my feelings hidden all evening had been exhausting to say the least. And it wasn't just tonight either. I had been putting up barriers around my heart for so long but those same barriers came crashing down the second I laid eyes on Edward again. That brought with it more pain when I considered that I was going to have to say goodbye to him all over again.

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

Suddenly his voice was a lot closer than I anticipated and when I turned around I saw Edward looming in the doorway. I lowered my head and tried to look away from him to hide my emotions and not ten seconds later I felt a firm arm wrap around my waist from behind. A jolt of electricity ran through me at his touch and I let out a small gasp when Edward pulled me back against him. The gesture felt so familiar that it was both heartbreaking and lovely. Every instinct in my body was tingling at his closeness and I felt a strange pounding vibrating through my chest.

"You must be freezing out here. Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine, just needed a break. It's pretty intense in there," I lied. I wasn't fine. I wanted to stop time and make this moment last forever.

"Come on let's get you back inside you're freezing." Edward said.

"In a minute," I paused thoughtfully, debating my next move.

Seeing Edward again had been wonderful but right now I had a choice; I could stay quiet and enjoy the moment for what it was, or I could ask the questions that had been bugging me for the past five years.

While the old Bella would have stayed quiet and shied away from confrontation, I wasn't that girl anymore. I was stronger and more determined. Still, just for a second I was tempted to stay quiet and pretend that everything was okay, but if the reunion had taught me anything it was that I needed to move on with my life. The one thing I needed from high school was closure, and as hard as it is for me to comprehend, it's time I let Edward go. The only way I could do that was to have answers to the questions that had plagued me for the last five years.

I couldn't spend the next five years of my life pining over Edward. I'd stood up to Lauren and Tanya, now it was time to stand up to him too.

I breathed in his scent a final time before I moved out of his embrace and turned to face him. Here goes ….

"What ever happened to us Edward?" I began apprehensively.

I saw Edward tense. "What do you mean?"

"You never wrote. You never visited. What happened to being my best friend and always being there for me?" I asked. Even I could hear the despondency in my own voice.

"The last five years have been hard on me too, Bella" Edward said quietly. I blinked several times, barely believing what I was hearing.

"Hard on you? Edward, you moved away and barely contacted me before now? How do you think that was for me?" I asked incredulously.

"Bella, calm down. I didn't mean it like that. I just..."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" I snapped, my anger getting the better of me. "I don't get it Edward, what did I do that was so terrible that you had to cut me out of your life so easily?" I demanded.

Edward gasped. "Look Bella, I can see how you would think that but believe me you've got this all wrong. Please just let me explain." I thought I saw a trace of desperation in his eyes. He pulled me to him, the movement abrupt and almost rough but he released my wrist abruptly when I struggled and I quickly drew my hand away.

"Bella please, I didn't plan on doing this here. I was going to wait until after the party was over to talk to you, but just hear me out" he said nervously. He looked genuinely pained but I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me not until I'd said what I needed to say.

"You know what, no. I've had enough." I spoke in a definite tone. "I thought it would make it better if I knew what I did wrong but it doesn't matter anymore. I'm done waiting for answers. I've spent too long waiting for you Edward, too long hoping, wishing, and praying you'd come back to me. You moved on and that's fine but it's time for me to do the same." I told him.

Edward let out a long weary sigh and rubbed a hand over his face and I could see he was getting ready to argue so I held my palm up to silence him.

"Edward please, if you ever felt anything for me you will let me let you go" I begged. I was so close to breaking down in front of him. I turned to leave but stopped when I heard his voice.

"Bella please wait," Edward pleaded.

Unable to stop myself, I risked a final fleeting glance back. Edward was frozen on the spot – anguish and pain written all over his face. He looked so hurt that for a second I was tempted to go back but I didn't. I couldn't.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I turned away quickly, knowing that if I didn't leave now I never would. I headed swiftly towards the car park without once looking back at Edward.

A/N: Okay, I know it's another cliff-hanger but it's the last one. I promise in the next chapter we will get all the answers. And before you flame me let me reiterate that this story has a HEA.

Did anyone picked up on any more clues? What do we think; was Bella too forgiving of Edward at the start? And what do we think of Edward? I hope I'm not making him into the bad guy because without giving too much away, he's not as selfish as you 's only one more chapter to go (excluding the epilogue) but in the meantime remember to review, review, and review. I love hearing what you guys think.

Me x


	6. I will wait

**A/N: So here we have it- the last chapter! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update. I know how frustrating it is when stories get left hanging so I can only apologise again for the delay. Thank you for sticking with me and this story, and thanks to the new readers that I have had over the past few months. Okay, on with the chapter and finally we get some explanations, and perhaps a little surprise or two!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to S Meyer. The chapter title belongs to the incredible Mumford and Sons!**

~Chapter 6~

~ I will wait ~

I didn't stick around long enough to see if Edward was following after me but I didn't hear anyone behind so I assumed he had listened to my pleas and stayed at the party. If I'm being honest a part of me wanted him to follow after me and explain, but a much larger part of me was relieved to avoid another confrontation.

I couldn't face him now, not without crumbling again, so determined to escape another potentially embarrassing showdown I kept on walking towards where Rosalie had parked the car.

In hindsight I probably should have gone back inside and found her, and at the very least told her that I was leaving but I just didn't have it in me to face her either. I knew she would be disappointed in me for not confiding in her but she was having so much fun with Emmett that I didn't want to spoil her night with my own troubles.

Luckily she had left me with the car keys and I was grateful that I hadn't had too much to drink meaning I could get the hell out of there as soon as possible. On my way home I did send Rosalie a quick text to tell her I'd had enough and that I was heading home. She text me back immediately asking if I was okay. I told her that I was going to be fine however in reality I felt far from it. Seeing Edward again hit me a lot harder than I thought it would, but I suppose it was inevitable that my carefully constructed facade would eventually falter.

Lost in my thoughts I kept driving around town not really knowing where I was going. I wasn't ready to head back to the reservations to face Charlies questioning about how my night had been, so I kept driving around for God knows how long trying to calm myself down before I was eventually forced to head home and face the music.

As fate or perhaps habit would have it, somehow I ended up outside the old house; the big red and white sold sign bolder and brighter than ever. It's funny how I'd never even noticed the sign earlier today when I had been packing up my things.

I parked out front and waited inside the car for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do now that I was here. Unfortunately I hadn't got my house keys with me so I couldn't go inside and in the end I found myself wandering aimlessly around the back garden not really knowing what to do with myself.

I don't know how long I stayed for but it was getting cold outside and I was debating how much longer I could hold out before returning home when a desperate voice startled me.

"Bella!"

I froze.

My heart stops dead in my chest when I turned around to find Edward standing not ten feet away from me.

I stared back helplessly, unable to mutter a word, and watched in a daze as he started making his way across the grass towards me, determination on his face.

"What are you doing here? How did you even know where to find me?" I asked, trying to remain calm when in reality I was far from it. Seeing him again I could feel all the old hurt and humiliation rushing back to me all over.

"When Charlie said you hadn't come home I knew you'd be here." Edward said, his gaze fixed on mine.

I stared at him in utter bewilderment.

_He went to see Charlie?_

"Bella, I know you don't want to see me now but I really need to talk to you."

As Edward started to approach, I put my hands up defensively to him as the signal to stop, but he kept edging forward slowly, as if sensing that my resolve was weakening. He walked forward until he was only a couple of feet away from me, his face sympathetic. Despite my will to run, my feet just wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't move, it was almost as if I was glued to the spot.

"I owe you an explanation." He said gently.

"You owe me nothing!" I retorted defensively, feeling my defiance return.

I turned around swiftly and started to walk away back towards the car but I had only taken two steps when Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me back around to face him.

"Let me go!" I demanded, yanking hard on him to no avail.

"I'm not letting you go Bella," he said forcefully, pulling me even tighter against him. "I'm never letting you go again."

And then before I could process or protest that statement, his lips met mine and he was kissing me in a way that made me forget every resolution or regret I'd ever had. I tried to back away, really I did, but it was like trying to pull two magnets apart. I couldn't help it; it was beyond my control. I faltered and before I knew it I was kissing him back.

Somewhere at the back of my mind a little voice was telling me that I had given in too easily, but I just couldn't bring myself to listen to it, and the second his tongue brushed against mine my resolve was done for. Edward must have sensed it too, because he lifted his free hand to thread his fingers into my hair and deepened the kiss, like a man suddenly possessed.

It felt like only hours but was probably only a few moments before his lips eventually released mine. Edward pressed a gentle kiss to my lips before he pulled away from me slightly and I had to cling onto him for a second or two just to keep myself upright. My legs had turned to jelly and my head was filled with a whole mixture of emotions. Firstly, I was disappointment at myself for giving into him so easily, but most of all I was furious with Edward for thinking he could use such a kiss to distract me from the real problem here.

How dare he come here do that!

For a moment I was so angry I couldn't speak. I stared at him furiously, my whole body shaking with anger.

"For Gods sake Edward, what's the matter with you?! Are you drunk or something?" I said, my voice rising slightly.

"You can't just come here and do that and expect everything to be okay!" I wrenched my arm away from him and gave a push at his shoulder which seemed to snap him out of his daze.

"Bella.. I..."

"No!" I heard myself interrupting."You can't just show up and decide you want me all of a sudden," I snapped.

"Bella, I know I've made mistakes in the past," Edward said gently, his voice breaking as he continued. "But please let me explain. Just give me a minute and then I promise that if that's what you want then I will never bother you again," he pleaded, his voice sounding desperate.

I was still a little shell shocked by both his declaration and the kiss, but my anger soon gave way to acceptance. Edward seemed determined to have his say and if I could hear him out now then perhaps that would be the end of it once and for all.

"Okay then," I agreed somewhat reluctantly, giving him a grudging shrug. "Say whatever it is you have to say and go."

Edward's expression changed as he gazed at me and suddenly I felt a little nervous about what he had to say. The silence was deafening and I was about to speak up and tell him to get a move on when he took a deep breath and began.

"Bella, I've been in love with you since the moment we first met."

I stared at him in utter bewilderment, hearing but not quite understanding what he was saying.

"All throughout our senior year I tried to work up the courage to tell you. I decided graduation was the night that I finally told you how I felt. I even thought I was half way there after the kiss, except I heard you talking with Angela about letting someone down gently and staying just friends," his paused, voice sounded pained. "I thought you were talking about me. I mean it had to be me, right? Who else could you have been talking about?"

"Eric Yorkie!" I revealed exasperated.I was surprised by the sudden surge of anger I felt but I forced myself to calm down.

"I know that now but at the time it seemed so obvious." Edward sounded annoyed with himself.

There was silence for a while, which for once I was grateful for. My brain was trying to put all of the pieces together and make some sense of what Edward had said. Still, I couldn't get my head around it; Why would he let a few overheard words force me out of his life completely? It just didn't make any sense.

"So let me get this straight," I said my voice wavering slightly, "you avoided me just because of something you heard?"

"Not at first... It's just..." Edward offered, looking sheepish.

"Just what?" I was getting frustrated with his weird looks and half sentences.

"It was something Tanya said okay," He broke off into silence and stared down at the ground.

"Tanya?" I asked a little shell shocked. "What's she got to do with any of this?"

What the heck was he talking about now?

Edward paused again, looking tense and a little nervous.

"Tell me, Edward. You owe me an explanation," I growled impatiently

"She told me that you and Eric were together and that you'd been hiding it from me," he said tightly.

I stared back at him in confusion. I couldn't believe Tanya would be so vindictive but I was even more appalled that Edward would ever listen to her in the first place.

"And you believed her!" I gasped in disbelief.

Edward did not answer, but then he did not need to. The fact that he stayed silent, coupled with the guilty expression on his face had spoken for him.

"How could you listen to her?" I asked, my anger coming back in full force.

Edward sighed. "I was different then, Bella. I was young and I didn't have much self-esteem. I was afraid that if I told you how I really felt you would get mad or worse, cut me out completely."

For a moment I feel a pang of sympathy for him. He looked so hurt I wanted to reach out and draw him against me and put the whole lousy episode behind us and just kiss him like we had just minutes ago. But however much I wanted to forgive and forget I couldn't.

It was all very well for him to say this now I thought bitterly. What did he expect me to say; that it was okay, that I could forget all about the heartache and pain his actions had caused. The fact remained that despite his reasoning I still felt let down and wounded that he could not trust me enough to even talk to me about all this nonsense, and I told him as much.

"I don't know why Tanya started those rumours, Edward, but there is not a grain of truth in them, not a grain, and it hurts that you didn't trust me enough to talk to me. You were meant to be my best friend, Edward. You should have known me better than that." The threat of tears was back, and it sounded in my voice.

"I know, you're right. I should have trusted you," Edward said.

There was an endless pause as he reached out and closed his hand over mine. I couldn't control the electric shock that ran through my body. A part of me wanted to rip his hand away but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt my resolve slipping and when I looked up and met his eyes the hurt I saw there nearly took my breathe away.

"I should never have listened to her, I know that now. I should have at the very least spoken to you," Edward said his voice full of regret. "Believe me I'm not proud of the way I behaved and I'm not trying to make excuses but hurt and jealously will make you believe a lot of things, Bella. For what its worth I was suffering too. When I went away I never stopped thinking about you, you know. That summer when I was in England, was the worst of my life. I missed you so much. So many times I wanted to just to be able to call you and talk to you again."

"But you cut me out completely." I couldn't keep the accusation out of my voice.

"Not because I wanted to. I just thought that if I didn't see you it would be easier; that I wouldn't want you as much."

"And did you?" I asked. My heart was racing, I couldn't seem to slow it down.

"No, if anything it was worse than before. Even when I was on the other side of the world I couldn't stop thinking about you. Everyday I wondered where you were and who you were with," he said, jealousy creeping into his voice.

"But you never came back? You didn't even come to visit me, not once!" I argued. While I could understand how hurt he must have felt by believing such a terrible lie, I wasn't ready to forgive him straight away.

"I did once," Edward admitted quietly.

"You came back?" I repeated. I was fairly certain there was more to his story than he was letting on.

Edward nodded his head slightly and when he looked back at me I could see the red blush staining his cheeks.

"Yeah, I didn't even make it past two weeks before I caved and decided to come home. I couldn't stand being away any longer not knowing where I stood with you. I decided that I had to tell you how I felt regardless of what your reaction might have been. I figured that in the worse case I would try and convince you that we could remain friends. I was going to surprise you. I even stopped off at Marie's on the way to pick up your favourite chocolate cake." His crooked smile appeared momentarily before his face fell.

"And that's when I saw you." Edward paused, looking pained, but if we ever stood a chance of making this work I was adamant that we couldn't have any more secrets. I needed to hear everything both good and bad.

"Go on," I encouraged.

"That's when I saw you weren't alone. You were with another guy. He had his arm around you and you guys looked so happy that I knew I'd really lost you this time."

"Guy? What other guy?" I demanded.

That summer had been the worst summer of my life and there had certainly never been anyone on the scene back then, or since for that matter. I couldn't understand what he was talking about.

"I don't understand what you're saying Edward." I told him.

"Seth," He whispered as though that explained everything.

"Huh?" I stared at him puzzled.

"I thought you were with Seth, all right." Edward admitted.

At first I was confused by Edward's words and I tried to think back to how he could ever think such a thing. Then all of a sudden my mind drifted back to that one time in the cafe when Seth had comforted me when I was struggling to deal with Edward's departure and I could understand how that might have looked from the outside.

"Edward what you saw that day was Seth comforting me at a time when I thought you had abandoned me." I told him before the penny suddenly dropped. "Wait, that's why you acted funny at the reunion when I showed you his picture!"

Edward nodded back, his expression remaining sombre.

"Bella, I know that I hurt you deeply and I'm so sorry for all the pain I have caused you. I don't blame you for hating me," he said, his green eyes glittering like ice.

"I know I've made a lot of mistake in my life but I'm not going to make the same mistake twice, Bella. I love you, I've never stopped. I'll do anything to make it up to you and if you give me a chance, I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Can you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

I met his gaze, his own so open and honest and achingly vulnerable that I felt close to tears. I found it hard to speak. I gulped and closed my eyes, forcing myself not to cry. It was no good; the tears worked there way out anyway and I let out a little chocked sound, halfway between a laugh and a sob. These were the words I had longed to hear from him, but feared I never would.

"Please, don't cry, love," Edward said softly. I felt the feather light touch of his finger on my cheek as he brushed the tears away. When I opened my eyes he was right in front on me, his face full of such sorrow and compassion that another tear slipped down my cheek.

I sighed, struggling to express how I was feeling into words. It would have been easy to put all the blame on Tanya's lies and Edward's insecurities, but if I'd only had the courage to admit my own feelings sooner our lives would have turned out very differently.

"We waisted so much time. Edward I've been in love with you too. If only we..." I started to say but Edward cut me off by planting a soft kiss on my lips and drawing me up against him.

When he pulled away, his hands encircled my face and his eyes searched mine.

"It's in the past, and we have the future to look forward to." Edward said brightly, sending me the crooked smile I loved so much.

"So where do we go from here?" I was afraid to ask but I tried to prepare myself for his answer.

"I know we still have a lot to talk about and we will talk about it," Edward affirmed, "but first I have a surprise for you."

I was intrigued by his sneaky smile but before I had chance to question him about it, he picked me up and hoisted me into his arms. I expected him to lead me to the car but he headed towards the house instead.

"Wait Edward! We can't go inside." I tried to warn him when I realised his intentions. "I don't have my keys with me."

Edward wasn't deterred, if anything his smirk deepened. When we reached the door I thought he was going to let me down but still he refused. Instead, he started juggling around in his back pockets and I watched in amusement as he pulled out a set of familiar looking keys.

"What did you do?" I gasped, as realization dawned on me.

" I know how much his place means to you, Bella," Edward said solemnly. "When mom mentioned that Charlie was selling the house, I knew that I had to have it for you. I wanted us to have some place we could come to to escape the paparazzi. I didn't expect you to drop everything for me but I had hoped that in time I could win you over and we could build a life together here as it always should have been."

Something hot welled up inside, my throat felt tight and I tried so hard not to cry, but it was a loosing battle and I could feel the tears streaming down my cheek.

"I still have not forgiven you completely." I warned, trying to sound light hearted. "We have a lot of time to make up for."

"I promise to work hard on making you forgive me," Edward vowed and claimed my mouth with his in what turned out to be one of many that night.

We still had a lot to talk about and issues we needed to resolve, but finally we were where we belonged, where we were always supposed to despite all of the misunderstandings and mistakes of the past we had the chance at a fresh start, a brighter future, and I was certain that whatever life threw at us, we would face it together.

He was no longer be the one that got away.

**A/N: What do we think; Was Bella too forgiving? Sorry if you thought she was, but I couldn't keep them apart any longer. I hope you aren't too disappointed that I couldn't cover everything in one chapter but hopefully it was enough? I'd love to hear your thoughts- good or bad (preferably not too bad though!)**

**Congrats to Daisy Grace for guessing that Edward had bought the house. If I remember correctly you were the only one who spotted it earlier in the story. **

**So that is pretty much it for this story, but don't panic there's still an epilogue to come that will tie up any loose ends.**

**Review, review, review! I'd love to hear your thoughts.**


	7. Epilogue

**Authors note; Remember me? Yeah its been a while and after my last hiatus I promised I wouldn't keep you guys waiting so long. Looks like I failed again so in the future I'm not going to make any promises I cant guarantee I wont keep. But from now on I am hoping to have a more regular posting schedule, starting with the last chapter of this story. I really hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Twilight.**

~Epilogue~

10 years later

"Bella love, what are you doing in there? We have to get going." Edward called out.

Even from the other side of the door I could hear the irritation in his tone. It was understandable really; I'd spent the past twenty minutes locked away in the bathroom, trying to figure out a way out of this evenings get together.

I was half tempted to skip the latest reunion altogether, but Edward was insistent that we go.

While the last reunion had certainly been both rewarding and memorable, sadly, the outcome of that particular evening didn't help ease any of my anxieties. Being face to face with many of my high school nemesis' was bad enough the first time around, I was in no hurry to go through that all over again.

I'm sure I would have been fine if I hadn't been feeling so exhausted and self conscious of late. The extra pounds I had piled on since the last reunion didn't exactly inspire confidence either.

That's what having three kids in the space of ten years will do to you, I thought dryly. Damn Edward and his instability. That and the fact that twin ran in his family! Our five year olds Mason and Lucas were a handful to say the least. They had Edward's bronze hair and his eyes, while our daughter Emily took after me. She had turned two just last week but already she was the apple of Edward's eye. She had him wrapped around her little finger and even just a hint of tears and he was putty in her hands.

Nowadays we led a surprisingly normal life, well as normal as one can be when your husband is one of the most successful and desirable actors on the planet.

That's not to say life was always easy. The months following the last reunion were trying to say the least, and though Edward had stayed with me in Seattle for as long as he could, he had to return to work when the filming of his latest movie commenced. He was gone for a whole three months; the longest three months of my life, but the wait was worth it and we did manage to fit in a few brief reunions into that time.

As soon as he was back in the US Edward asked me to move in with him at his LA home and I didn't hesitate to accept. The prior months separation had been torture enough and I couldn't bare the thought of any more time apart.

I couldn't have asked for a better life; Edward was perfect. The most caring and thoughtful boyfriend possible. He really was too good for me. It wasn't always perfect; we had our ups and downs, and we certainly had our fair share of disagreements, usually about not seeing each other nearly as much as we wanted, but we always worked through all of our problems together. We'd definitely learnt from the past where we'd let a stupid misunderstanding and a reluctance to tell each other how we felt come between us.

Living together was absolute bliss and I'd never felt happier or more loved, so I didn't hesitate when Edward proposed during our first Christmas together. Though our friends and family were thrilled for us, they were no doubt dubious at the speed at which our relationship was progressing. And after breaking the news my dad had idly looked down at my stomach and asked why the rush? Edward had laughed in response and answered that we'd wasted enough time already. I couldn't have agreed more.

"We're going to be late!" Edward warned, breaking me from my reverie. Again I tried to ignore him, but of course this being Edward he started to panic when I didn't answer.

"Bella?" his voice rose. "Is everything okay in there?"

"I've changed my mind. I'm not going!" I declared to ease his concerns.

Almost immediately, I heard a gentle tapping on the door. "Open the door Bella."

"No!" I stropped like a petulant child. I could hear Edward laughing at my antics.

"Please," he I could see him, I was pretty sure he would be sporting his infamous pout that made me crumble every time. Unfortunately for him, there was a 2 inch piece of wood separating us. However, when I failed to acknowledge him, Edward brought out the big guns.

"Don't make me get Alice on you," he threatened in a tone that I knew meant business.

"You wouldn't dare" I accused, though I suspected he wouldn't hesitate to get Alice on my case.

Besides Edward she was the only person capable of getting me to back down when I was being unreasonably stubborn as Edward called it

"I would and you know it," he said sternly, though I could hear the hint of laughter in his voice which made me all the more irritated.

"Last chance, Bella," Edward warned again, obviously loosing his patience with me. It was only when I heard his footsteps across the room that I finally caved in.

"Fine, you win," I huffed in aggravation before stepping out, or should I say waddling out of the bathroom just as Edward was reaching for the door handle out of our bedroom.

He turned around, smirking that infuriating crooked smile of his that made me both huff in annoyance and feel a smile tugging on my lips.

He was so unbelievably handsome in his designer suit paired with my favourite green tie, his hair its usual untamed mess. The past ten years had certainly been kind to Edward. He was just as handsome as ever. Just one look and he could have me blushing like an infatuated teenager.

It was hard to believe that he was mine and sometimes I still had to pinch myself to make sure that this was all real and that this perfect, kind, thoughtful man was mine.

Feeling the emotions welling up inside me I looked down at the ground. I could hear Edward approaching but I kept my eyes downcast. When he reached me, he lifted my chin before he cupped my face in his hands, his eyes fierce as he looked down at me.

"You look beautiful," he complimented me. I didn't feel beautiful; I felt heavy, uncomfortable and unbearably hot.

When I grimaced unconvinced, Edward mistook my reaction for something else. Stormy, concerned eyes connected with mine as his hands immediately flew to my bump.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter with the baby?" he worried, his voice was croaky and black. He was a real worry wart and the last pregnancy had been particularly trying for the both of us.

"It's not that," I admitted looking down at the ground to hide my face. I knew I was being over-sensitive, but I couldn't help it.

Edward once again took my face in his hands, tilting my chin so that I was forced to look at him. "Then what is it?" He asked, frowning.

"Look at me Edward!" I mumbled suddenly weary.

"I'm looking," he answered, looking confused. " You look beautiful," he leaned in to kiss me but I pulled away.

"No, I look like a whale," I corrected. "I'm huge."

"Hey! That's our child you're insulting!" Edward faked outrage as he gently started rubbing his hand over my bulging belly before crouching down so that he was level with my stomach.

No matter how many times he had done it in my other pregnancies, I still went all gooey inside at the sight of Edward speaking to our child.

"Ignore mummy, she's just being silly," he playfully chastised, before looking up at me with love in his eyes.

I gazed at him, tears blurred my vision. damn pregnancy hormones.

"Baby Its one night, just a few hours and I promise we will never have to see these people again," he pleaded. "Besides, don't you want to see how they've changed?"

"Not particularly," I claimed, though I was a little curious as to how time had been to some people more than others. Tanya boobs had to be sagging by now and Lauren was onto kid number five so I doubted she still had the body of a supermodel.

"Bella, if you are really so against going we wont." Edward offered, though I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"It's not that." I began "I just don't understand why you're so adamant that we should go? You hated it just as much as I did."

It was true. Edward hated attention and he was just as uncomfortable as I was at the last reunion so I was confused why he was so keen to go through the same thing all over again.

"Yeah but things have changed now," he said shyly.

"I don't understand," I replied confused.

"Your mine now. Is it so wrong that a that husband wants to show off his wife,"Edward declared his tone soft. The love in his eyes, brought tears to mine.

I smiled a little through my tears as Edward pulled me back into his arms and gently wiped the tears from beneath my eyes. I looked up at him wearily, all the fight draining out of me as looked into his gentle expression.

"Fine," we'll go," I conceded.

Edward's smile was blinding but at the same time a little hesitant. "Are you sure? I don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with?"

I'm sure," I agreed, feeling confident despite my earlier meltdown.

"I'll make it up to you later," Edward vowed and claimed my mouth with his in a slow kiss.

He broke off the kiss with a chuckle and glanced down, his eyes poured over me in adoration  
>"I love you," he said softly.<p>

"I love you too." I replied smiling as Edward brought his mouth to mine. I stood on my tip toes and kissed him back with everything in me.

As usual I lost all sense of time when Edward was kissing me, but despite my reluctance to stop I somehow managed to find the strength to pull away from his embrace.

"We're going to be late." This time it was my turn to warn.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea if we skip this reunion after all," he said in between kisses.

"No way," I replied outraged, smacking away his wondering hands. "You got me to dress up, were going now, end of story. Besides, you know how much Alice is looking forward to looking after the kids." I reminded him as I dragged Edward towards the living room to say goodnight to the children before we left.

Ten minutes later and a lot of hugs passed before we finally managed to pry Emily away from Edward and be on our way.

"You be good for auntie Alice," I said, knowing how much of a handful they could be.

"Have fun guys," Alice smirked suggestively, making me blush crimson and Edward send a cocky smile my way.

We didn't speak much in the car journey to reunion, both lost in our own thoughts but when we pulled up outside the school I felt my nerves hit. Edward must have sensed it because he reached out and put a reassuring hand on my arm. The contact calmed my nerves quickly and I began to relax. It was amazing how with one touch, he could ease most of my worries.

When he had finished parking the car Edward raced around and opened the door for me. He took my hand in his and helped me out. Outside I took a moment to take in my surroundings. We'd been through a lot of heartache and tears to get to this point, but we we're together now, happy and free of all those dramas of our teenage years.

"Ready to face the masses Mrs Cullen?" Edward asked, breaking me from my reverie.

When I looked back at him he smiling that adorable smile that made my heart ache and the blood rush to my cheeks. He held out his arm for me and I took it immediately.

"Yes." I replied confidently, knowing that I could face the whatever the night and the rest of my life threw at me with Edward by my side.

**AN: So thats the last chapter- hopefully it ties up a few loose ends and more importantly gives Bella and Edward the happy ending I always promised! I hope you will take the time to review. Good or bad, I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

**Thank you to everyone who has taken the time time to read and review this story. I really appreciate all of your kind words and encouragement:)**


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